THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


LIFE  AND  DEATH 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD 


TOW  PATH  TO  THE  WHITE  HOUSE 

TOGETHER  WITH  A 

Complete  Account  of  his  Assassination  ;  History  of  Charles  J.  Guiteau, 

the  assassin;  The  Comments  of  the  Press  on  the  Assassination; 

The  Feeling  throughout  the  Country ;  Words  of  Sympathy 

from  all  parts  of  the  World;  Voices  from  the  Pulpit, 

including  Sermons  by  Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher, 

Eev.  Dr.  Storrs,  Rev.  Robert  S.  McArthur, 

Rev.  Dr.  J.  P.  Newman,  and  other 

Prominent  Clergymen 


BY  J.  8.  OGILVIE 


NEW   YORK 
J.    S.    OG-ILVIE    <fe    COMPANY 

25  ROSE  STREET 


COPYRIGHT,  18&, 

BY 
J.  8.  OGILVIE 


CCOTTEHTS. 


MM 

The  Shooting  of  the  President 29 

History  of  the  Assassin 100 

The  Effect  throughout  the  Country 131 

Comments  of  the  Press , 174 

Words  of  Sympathy 202 

Voices  from  the  Pulpit 220 

The  Eighty  Days'  Struggle  for  Life 242 

Death  of  the  President 258 

Funeral  Services  at  Washington 290 

The  Last  Sad  Journey 301 

The  Martyr  Laid  at  Rest 315 

Mourning  in  Europe 340 

Sermons  by  Prominent  Clergymen 345 

Memorial  Services  at  the  Brooklyn  (N.  Y.)  Tabernacle 385 

Life  of  James  A.  Garfield 896 

Life  of  Chester  A.  Arthur 432 

Assassination  of  Lincoln 457 

550573 


ILLUSTEATIOISTS. 


PAGE 

Portrait  of  James  A.  Garfleld 1 

Portrait  of  James  A.  Garfield's  Mother 75 

Portrait  of  Charles  J.  Guiteau 100 

Last  Letter  written  by  the  President. 247 

Chart  showing  Pulse,  Temperature,  and  Respiration 255 

Elberon  Cottage,  where  the  President  died 262 

Portrait  of  Mrs.  James  A.  Garfield 409 

Home  of  James  A.  Garfield  at  Mentor,  Ohio 430 

Portrait  of  Chester  A.  Arthur 432 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


ASSASSINATION  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


THE     PRESIDENT  8    PROGRAMME    FOR     A    BRIEF     VACATION WHO 

WAS     TO     ACCOMPANY      THE     PARTY PREPARATIONS      FOR     A 

JOYOUS    TIME    COMPLETED. 

JAMES  A.  GARFIELD,  the  President  of  the  United  States  and 
the  subject  of  this  history,  had  determined  to  take  two  weeks' 
relaxation  from  his  important  duties,  and  had  invited  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Cabinet  and  their  ladies  with  several  other  friends  to 
accompany  him. 

The  party  was  to  leave  Washington  Saturday,  July  2,  1881, 
at  9.30  A.M.,  on  the  limited  express  train  from  the  Baltimore 
and  Potomac  Depot,  in  the  city  of  Washington,  for  an  extended 
journey  through  New  England.  CLhe  party  was  to  comprise  the 
President  and  Mrs.  Garficld,  who  was  to  meet  him  in  New  York, 
their  two  elder  sons,  Harry  and  James,  Miss  Mollie  Garfield, 
their  daughter,  who  is  now  with  her  mother ;  Colonel  and  Mrs. 
Rockwell,  with  Don  Rockwell,  their  son,  and  Miss  Lulu  Rock- 
well, their  daughter ;  Dr.  W.  H.  Hawkes,  the  classical  tutor  of 
the  three  young  gentlemen  above  named ;  the  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  and  Mrs.  Windom ;  Postmaster-General  James  and 
Mrs.  James,  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  and  Mrs.  Hunt,  the  Sec- 
retary of  War,  Judge  Advocate  General  Swaim  and  Colonel 
Jamison,  of  the  Post  Office  DepartmentT]  From  New  York  they 
were  to  go  directly  to  Irvington,  on  the  Hudson,  where  they 
were  to  spend  Sunday.  On  Monday  morning  they  were  to  go 
to  Williamstown,  Mass.,  to  attend  the  commencement  exercises 
of  Williams  College,  of  which  the  President  is  a  graduate. 
They  were  to  remain  there  until  Thursday  noon,  and  then  take 
the  cars  for  St.  Albans,  Vt.,  spending  Friday  at  that  place. 
From  there  they  were  to  go  to  the  White  Mountains,  staying  at 


• 
30  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

Maplewood  or  Bethlehem,  and  remaining  over  Sunday.  On 
Monday  they  were  to  go  to  the  top  of  Mount  Washington,  and 
on  Tuesday  to  Portland,  Me. ;  from  thence  to  Augusta,  where 
they  were  to  be  the  guests  of  Secretary  Elaine.  The  Secretary 
had  secured  a  revenue  cutter,  and  the  party  were  to  take  a  trip 
along  the  Maine  coast,  visiting  Mount  Desert  and  other  places 
of  interest.  They  were  then  to  return  to  Bangor,  Me.,  and 
from  there  to  Boston.  The  Legislature  of  New  Hampshire, 
having  by  resolution  invited  the  President  to  make  them  a  visit, 
the  party  was  to  go  to  Concord.  From  there  they  were  to  go 
to  New  Concord,  Mass.,  then  begin  the  homeward  trip,  going 
to  New  York  by  way  of  Hartford  and  New  Haven,  expecting  to 
get  back  to  this  city  about  the  17th  or  18th  of  July. 

THE    PRESIDENT    SHOT    DOWN. 

This  was  the  programme  marked  out  for  a  pleasant  vacation, 
and  the  last  of  the  party  to  complete  it  had  not  arrived  when 
the  twenty  minutes  past  nine  A.M.  train,  preceding  the  limited 
express,  departed  from  the  depot.  A  few  moments  later  the 
President's  carriage  drove  in  front  of  the  depot,  and  the  Presi- 
dent and  his  only  companion,  Secretary  Blaine,  alighted  and 
both  entered  the  depot  by  the  main  entrance  on  B  Sstreet. 
There  was  a  slight  pause  on  the  steps,  and  a  moment  later  the 
President  and  Secretary  of  State,  side  by  side,  were  walking 
across  the  ladies'  reception  room,  in  which  there  was  not  at  the 
time  half  a  dozen  persons.  One  of  these  was  a  man  of  short 
stature,  a  wicked  expression  in  his  face,  who  moved  about 
nervously  until  the  two  statesmen  had  half  crossed  the  recep- 
tion room,  a  distance  of  not  more  than  ten  feet  from  the  door. 
A  report  as  of  a  big  fire-cracker  challenged  the  attention  of  the 
policemen  at  the  main  door,  who  thought  some  boy  had  fired  it 
in  honor  of  the  President's  departure.  Instantly  another  report 
was  heard,  and  President  Garfield  lay  prostrate  upon  the  floor  of 
the  reception  room,  wounded  in  the  right  arm  and  in  the  side 
just  above  the  hip.  The  first  ball  from  the  assassin's  revolver 
struck  the  President  near  the  left  shoulder  and  passed  out  by 
the  shoulder  blade ;  the  second  struck  him  in  the  back  over  the 
left  kidney.  The  President  turned  at  the  first  shot  and  fell 
forward  on  his  knees  at  receiving  the  second  bullet.  Post- 
master-General James  and  others  of  his  party  who  had  preceded 
him  rushed  to  his  assistance.  The  assassin  was  instantly  over- 
powered and  arrested. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


31 


The  mysterious  nervous  individual  was  Charles  J.  Guiteau, 
about  forty  years  of  age,  who  had  been  imploring  the  President 
to  give  him  a  consulate  in  France.  His  excited  condition  had 
changed  in  the  presence  of  his  intended  victim,  and  he  stood  as 
firm  and  as  calm  as  a  statue,  the  "  English  bull-dog"  pistol  still 
drawn  and  in  his  right  hand.  Secretary  Elaine  had,  in  turning 
the  corner  of  the  seat  near  the  main  entrance  to  the  hall  of  the 
depot,  gone  just  a  little  ahead  of  the  President.  The  first  shot 
not  being  noticed  by  the  President  or  his  companion,  the  second 
and  the  fatal  one  found  Mr.  Elaine  on  the  sill  of  the  door,  who 
instantly  called  for  help.  It  is  believed  that  the  second  shot 
was  intended  for  Secretary  Elaine.  Guiteau  wanted  to  be  Con- 
sul at  Paris.  Last  fall  he  bored  Elaine  with  simple-minded 
letters  proposing  to  take  the  stump  in  Maine,  and  was  not 
regarded  as  a  useful  man  in  the  campaign.  .  He  has  been 
stopping  at  the  Riggs  House,  and  has  shown  no  peculiarities 
during  his  stay  to  lead  to  the  belief  that  he  is  of  unsound  mind. 
Secretary  Elaine's  private  secretary  says,  from  what  he  knows  of 
the  persistent  appeals  of  Guiteau,  that  he  must  have  intended  to 
shoot  Elaine.  The  second  shot  gave  him  a  very  narrow  escape. 

GREAT" "EXCITEMENT  AT  THE  DEPOT.  ' 

Colonel  Jamison1,  who  was  to  have  had  charge  of  the  Presi- 
dent's party,  was  the  first  to  communicate  the  sad  news  to  the 
Cabinet  officers.  From  the  scene  to  the  rear  of  the  train  was  a 
distance  of  perhaps  two  hundred  feet.  As  though  drawn  by  an 
invisible  power,  the  Presidential  party  in  a  second  was  surging 
towards  the  room  where  the  prostrate  form  of  the  President  lay. 
Five  members  of  the  Cabinet  were  then  present,  Messrs.  Elaine, 
Windom,  Lincoln,  Hunt,  and  James.  In  a  few  minutes  Attor- 
ney-General McVeagh,  who  was  at  his  office  when  the  deed  was 
done,  had  arrived.  The  President's  son  Harry,  scarcely  realiz- 
ing what  had  happened,  for  but  little  blood  fell  from  the 
wounds,  stood  ready  to  fight  or  die  in  his  father's  defence^ 
The  scene  beggars  description.  A  beautiful  summer  morn, 
warm  and  tranquil  as  the  face  of  nature  in  early  spring,  encour- 
aged the  brightest  thoughts  and  happiest  feelings  in  the  hearts 
of  the  company  that  was  to  journey  with  the  President.  Now 
their  countenances  were  black  with  sorrow.  "  President  Gar- 
field  assassinated  !"  exclaimed  Secretary  Hunt.  "  Impossible  !" 
Xo,  if  a  meteoric  stone  had  singled  him  out  as  its  victim  it 
could  not  be  more  improbable.  Secretary  Lincoln  realized  in 


32  THE  ASSASSINATION  Off 

an  instant  his  position.  The  son  of  an  assassinated  President 
and  the  Secretary  of  War  of  another  victim  by  the  assassin's 
hand,  he  quickly  gave  the  order  for  the  troops  stationed  at  the 
arsenal  to  hold  themselves  for  immediate  orders.  The  same 
was  done  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  who  directed  that  the 
marines  should  be  held  for  similar  orders.  Meanwhile  word 
was  sent  to  Surgeon-General  Barnes,  Drs.  Norris,  Lincoln,  and 
Woodward,  requiring  their  immediate  presence  at  the  depot. 
With  the  messengers  trooping  over  the  pavements  it  was  not 
long  before  every  part  of  Washington  was  informed  of  what 
had  happened,  and  the  fact  became  generally  known.  Then  a 
crowd  soon  assembled,  and  in  less  than  ten  minutes  Sixth  Street 
and  B  Street  were  packed  with  people,  and  the  news  of  the 
horrible  affair  flew  from  mouth  to  mouth  and  spread  over 
the  city  like  wildfire.  An  attempt  was  made  to  rush  into  the 
building,  and  cries  were  raised  to  lynch  the  assassin ;  but  a  strong 
force  of  policemen,  summoned  by  telephone,  had  arrived 
promptly  on  the  scene  and  preserved  order.  In  the  mean  time 
the  President  had  been  carried  to  a  room  up-stairs  and  the  phy- 
sicians summoned. 

POLICEMAN  KEARNEY'S  STORY. 

Policeman  Kearney,  of  the  Island  precinct,  who  first  tried 
to  arrest  the  assassin,  makes  the  following  statement  of  the 
shooting : 

Gtiiteau  arrived  at  the  depot  about  half  an  hour  ahead  of 
the  Presidential  party,  and  moved  about  and  acted  quite  rest- 
lessly. The  officer's  attention  was  attracted  by  his  movements, 
but  he  did  not  watch  the  assassin  particularly  until  he  heard 
him  ask  a  hackman  at  the  Sixth  Street  depot  if  he  could  drive 
him  off  in  a  hurry  if  required.  "  I  thought,"  said  Kearney, 
"  that  that  was  a  peculiar  thing,  but  before  I  could  follow  it  up 
closer  I  saw  the  President's  party  driving  down  Sixth  Street  to 
the  depot,  and  I  had  to  go  and  look  after  them.  They  drove 
to  the  B  Street  entrance.  Secretary  Elaine  was  with  the  Presi- 
dent, and  the  two  entered  the  depot  together.  The  President 
walked  up  to  me,  and  asked  how  much  time  he  had  before  the 
train  left  It  was  twenty  minutes  after  nine  o'clock  I  saw  by 
looking  at  my  watch,  and  I  told  the  President  that  he  had  ten 
minutes.  Just  as  he  thanked  me  I  heard  a  pistol  shot,  and 
turning,  I  SMW  the  man  that  I  had  been  watching  previously 
standing  about  ten  feet  away,  in  the  shadow  of  the  main 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  33 

entrance  to  the  waiting-room,  levelling  his  pistol  across  his  arm. 
He  fired  a  second  shot  before  I  could  speak  to  him,  and  darted 
between  myself  and  the  President  and  Secretary  Elaine  into 
the  street.  The  President  reeled  and  fell  just  in  front  of  me. 
As  he  fell  he  said  something  I  could  not  exactly  understand, 
and  Secretary  Elaine,  with  a  terrified  look,  pushed  towards  him, 
exclaiming,  '  My  God,  he  has  been  murdered !  What  is  the 
meaning  of  this  ? ' 

"  '  In  God's  name,  man,'  I  shouted,  '  what  did  you  shoot  the 
President  for?'" 

JAMES    R.    YOUNG'S    STATEMENT. 

Mr.  James  R.  Young,  of  the  Philadelphia  Star,  says  of  the 
occurrence :  "  I  reached  the  depot  of  the  Baltimore  and  Poto- 
mac Railroad  at  about  nine  o'clock,  intending  to  take  the  limited 
express  train  for  New  York.  It  leaves  at  half -past  nine.  I 
found  the  depot  full  of  people,  some  going  south,  some  west, 
and  others  on  the  train  I  was  to  take  north.  I  passed  through 
the  ladies'  reception  room,  where  the  shooting  took  place,  to  the 
main  or  general  reception  room,  where  the  ticket  office  is  located. 
After  purchasing  my  ticket  I  proceeded  immediately  to  the 
train,  which  was  standing  on  the  track  south  of  the  main  build- 
ing of  the  depot,  say  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the  ladies' 
reception  room.  After  locating  my  seat  in  the  car  I  descended 
to  the  depot  platform.  There  I  met  Mr.  Barclay,  the  old  journal 
clerk  of  the  House,  and  Messrs.  Killmrn  and  Adams  of  the 
newspaper  press  of  the  city,  who  were  about  to  leave  with  their 
families  for  the  north.  We  stood  just  opposite  the  special  train 
which  was  waiting  for  the  President.  In  it  were  some  dozen 
people,  more  than  half  of  whom  were  ladies,  the  wives,  sons, 
and  daughters  of  Secretaries  Windom  and  Hunt,  Postmaster- 
General  James,  Colonel  Rockwell,  and  others  of  the  Presidential 
party.  They  were  a  merry  party,  laughing  and  joking  with  the 
numerous  friends  who  had  come  down  to  see  them  off  for  a 
fortnight's  holiday  and  frolic.  Soon  Secretaries  Windom  and 
Hunt  came  out  of  the  car  and  began  promenading  up  and  down 
the  platform,  quietly  smoking  their  cigars.  Later  Postmaster- 
General  James  alighted  from  the  car  and  joined  our  party. 

"  NEWS    THAT    HORRIFIED. 

"We  began  congratulating  him  and  ourselves  that  we  were 
to  escape  the  fearfully  hot  weather,  and  were  trying  to  joke  him 


34  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

about  the  administration  leaving  business  for  pleasure,  when  a 
young  man  stepped  up  to  Mr.  James  and  said  to  him,  excitedly, 
that  the  President  had  been  shot. 

"  Mr.  James  turned  and  said,  '  What !  There  is  no  joke  in  a 
thing  like  that.' 

"  His  informant,  almost  scared  to  death,  replied,  '  I  assure 
you  it  is  true.' 

"  Without  another  word  Mr.  James  turned  and  ran  to  the 
depot  building,  and  we  all  naturally  followed  him.  When  I 
reached  the  ladies'  reception  rooms  the  doors  were  being  closed. 
There  were  at  least  two  hundred  people  in  and  around  the 
building,  and  I  began  to  inquire  if  the  news  I  had  heard  was 
true.  It  took  only  a  moment  to  find  out  that  it  was.  I  could 
not  gain  admission  at  the  inside  door  of  the  room  where  the 
President  was,  so  I  ran  out  into  the  street,  hoping  to  be  more 
successful  at  the  street  entrance.  There  I  found  a  big  crowd 
already  gathered,  and  a  policeman  and  some  others  hurriedly 
hustling  a  man  outside.  This  was  the  assassin.  I  did  not  fol- 
low, as  my  desire  was  to  learn  the  extent  of  the  President's 
wound.  Not  being  able  to  gain  admittance  at  the  door,  I  saw 
an  open  window,  say  about  ten  feet  from  the  ground.  A 
colored  newsboy  was  climbing  in,  and  I  concluded  to  follow 
suit  It  was  not  more  than  a  half  minute's  work  before  I  got 
inside.  The  first  person  I  saw  was  Secretary  Windom.  He  was 
standing  alone,  as  pale  as  death,  and  the  tears  were  trickling 
down  his  cheeks.  Knowing  him  well  I  said : 

" '  Mr.  Secretary,  where  is  the  President,  and  what  does  this 
mean  ? ' 

"  He  replied,  '  There  he  lies  in  yonder  corner  in  that  group. 
It  is  as  much  of  a  mystery  to  me  as  it  is  to  you.' 

"  I  moved  over  about  two  yards,  and  there  I  saw  the  President 
lying  on  a  mattress  which  had  been  hastily  brought,from  the 
sleeping  apartments  of  one  of  the  depot  employees.  There 
were  probably  thirty  people  around  him,  many  of  whom  were 
women,  who  had  been  waiting  for  the  southern  trains. 

"  Secretary  Blaine  had  hold  of  one  of  the  President's  hands, 
and  Postmaster-General  James  was  assisting  to  get  him  into  a 
sitting  posture.  His  face  showed  a  deathly  paleness,  and  he 
had  a  look  of  surprise,  as  if  caused  by  pain  and  despair.  He 
was  vomiting  and  seemed  to  have  no  control  of  himself.  His 
coat  and  vest  had  been  ripped  from  him  and  his  trousers  loos- 
ened. The  matter  he  had  vomited  had  fallen  on  his  shirt 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  35 

below  the  bosom,  which,  made  it  seem  as  if  the  ball  of  the 
assassin  had  penetrated  the  intestines.  Near  him  was  his  son, 
a  lad  of  sixteen.  Poor  boy,  he  was  almost  beside  himself. 
He  wrung  his  hands  and  cried  in  a  piteous  manner.  With  him 
were  the  son  of  Colonel  Rockwell,  and  Secretary  Hunt,  who, 
in  every  way  natural  to  human  beings,  were  trying  to  comfort 
him.  In  less  than  ten  minutes  Secretary  Blaine  gave  orders  to 
have  the  President  removed  to  the  upper  floor  of  the  depot,  to 
the  officers'  room,  where  there  would  be  plenty  of  air  and  a 
freedom  from  the  mob  which  was  rapidly  gathering.  Colonel 
Rockwell  and  Adjutant-General  Corbin  soon  made  a  passage- 
way, and  the  President  was  borne  by  a  number  of  the  colored 
porters  of  the  depot  to  the  upper  floor.  I  waited  down -stairs, 
and  in  about  half  an  hour  he  was  carried  down,  placed  in  an 
ambulance,  and  under  a  strong  guard  of  mounted  police  was 
driven  to  the  White  House.  I  immediately  left  the  depot  and 
hurriedly  went  up  Pennsylvania  Avenue.  Although,  it  was  not 
an  hour  since  the  shooting  took  place,  I  found  the  avenue 
crowded  with  people,  some  standing  in  groups,  regardless  of  the 
broiling  hot  sun,  discussing  the  event,  others  hurrying  towards 
the  depot,  and  others  pushing  and  rushing  and  wending  their 
way  no  one  knows  where." 

WHAT    A    PASSENGER    SAW. 

Mr.  Everett  Foss,  of  Dover,  N.  H.,  who  was  in  the  gentle- 
men's room  at  the  depot  at  the  time  of  the  shooting,  says : 
"At  twenty -two  minutes  past  nine  A.M.,  two  shots  in  rapid  suc- 
cession rang  through  the  depot,  startling  people  who  were 
gathered  there  waiting  the  movement  of  the  train,  and  to  wit- 
ness the  departure  of  the  Presidential  party.  Almost  at  the 
same  instant  Secretary  Blaine  rushed  from  the  ladies'  room  and 
called  for  an  officer.  The  cry  of  murder  came  through  an  open 
door  at  the  same  time.  In  a  moment  Officer  Kearney,  of  the 
Metropolitan  police  force,  appeared  with  the  assassin,  who 
waved  in  his  hand  a  letter,  which  he  vociferated  he  wanted 
delivered  to  General  Sherman.  On  entering  the  room  I  found 
General  Garfield  with  his  head  resting  upon  the  lap  of  the  lady 
in  charge  of  the  room,  with  Secretary  Blaine  bending  over  him, 
exclaiming,  '  O  my  poor  President ! '  " 

STATEMENT    OF    THE    LADIES5    ATTENDANT. 

Mrs.  White,  the  woman  in  charge  of  the  ladies'  waiting  room, 


36  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

was  an  eye-witness  to  all  that  transpired,  and  the  first  to  reach 
the  President.  She  is  a  modest  little  woman,  petite  in  form, 
has  a  narrow  face,  but  very  intelligent  countenance,  light  brown 
hair,  and  blue  eyes.  She  was  attired  in  a  becomingly  trimmed 
black  alpaca  dress  with  white  apron,  and  large  lace  bow  at  the 
neck.  She  gives  her  account  of  the  affair  as  follows : 

"  I  was  standing  in  the  ladies'  room,  and  saw  the  President 
as  he  entered  in  company  with  Secretary  Elaine.  The  latter 
had  stepped  a  little  in  advance  as  they  entered  the  door,  as  if 
to  give  the  President  more  room.  I  had  noticed  this  man  Gui- 
teau  lounging  around  the  ladies'  room  for  a  half  hour  before 
the  arrival  of  the  President.  I  did  not  like  his  appearance 
from  the  first  time  I  saw  him.  It  is  my  business  to  see  that 
such  characters  do  not  loaf  around  the  ladies' room,  and  I 
thought  seriously  of  having  him  pointed  out  to  our  watchman, 
Mr.  Scott,  so  that  he  should  be  made  stay  in  the  gentlemen's 
room.  When  the  President  and  Secretary  Elaine  entered  he 
was  standing  near  the  entrance  door.  He  wheeled  to  the  left 
and  fired,  evidently  aiming  for  the  heart.  It  was  a  quick  shot 
and  struck  the  President  in  the  left  arm.  The  President  did 
not  at  first  seem  to  realize  that  he  had  been  struck,  although 
Secretary  Elaine  instantly  stepped  to  one  side  as  though  dazed 
at  this  unexpected  movement.  The  President  then  partly 
turned  around  and  the  assassin  advancing  two  steps  fired  the 
second  time — the  whole  thing  being  the  work  of  a  few 
moments.  The  President  advanced  one  step,  then  fell  to  the 
floor.  I  ran  to  him  at  once  and  raised  his  head  and  held  it  in 
that  position  until  some  gentlemen  came,  and  we  remained 
until  his  son  came  from  the  car  where  he  was  seated,  with  the 
rest  of  the  Presidential  party,  awaiting  the  arrival  of  his  father. 
The  entire  party  followed  him  to  the  scene,  and  a  large  crowd 
gathered  about  the  prostrate  form  very  quickly.  When  I  had 
a  chance  to  look  about  me  I  saw  Guiteau  trying  to  wrench  his 
arm  from  those  who  held  him.  When  the  President  fell  it  was 
about  twenty-five  minutes  past  nine  A.M.  There  was  no  blood 
visible.  A  mattress  was  brought  in,  and  the  President  was 
removed  to  the  upper  floor  of  the  depot.  The  President  had 
on  a  light  drab  travelling  suit  and  a  silk  hat,  which  latter  was 
badly  battered  in  the  fall.  When  I  ran  to  him  he  was  deathly 
pale,  but  perfectly  conscious.  In  about  two  or  three  minutes 
he  vomited.  His  son  was  kneeling  beside  him  at  this  time. 
He  asked  me  if  I  saw  who  shot  his  father,  and  I  replied,  *  Yes, 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  37 

and  he  is  caught.'  He  said  somebody  would  have  to  pay  for  this. 
The  young  man  and  I  thought  the  President  was  dying,  so  pale 
was  he.  He  tried  to  raise  his  head  and  get  his  hand  on  the 
wound  near  the  thigh,  but  he  was  too  weak  to  do  so.  I  noticed 
Guiteau  at  the  depot  either  early  this  week  or  the  latter  part  of 
last." 

ANOTHER   WHO    SAW    THE    ASSASSINATION. 

Mr.  Parks,  the  ticket  agent  at  the  depot,  was  the  first  person 
to  lay  hands  upon  the  assassin.  Mr.  Parks,  when  questioned  in 
regard  to  the  sad  occurrence,  said :  "  I  had  been  watching  for  the 
arrival  of  the  President  through  the  small  window  between  my 
office  and  the  ladies'  waiting  room,  and  saw  this  man  Guiteau, 
\s  ho  was  a  small  man,  slight  in  physique,  with  short  pointed 
beard  on  his  chin.  His  movements  were  those  of  an  uneasy, 
nervous  man.  At  that  time  there  were  but  few  persons  present, 
and  nearly  all  ladies.  I  was  attracted  by  the  report  of  a  pistol. 
I  immediately  peered  into  the  ladies'  room  and  saw  the  assassin, 
pistol  in  hand,  standing  about  two  feet  inside  of  the  entrance 
door.  I  saw  him  advance  two  paces  and  fire  the  second  shot. 
The  President  had  then  advanced  more  than  half  way  across 
the  room  on  his  way  to  the  train,  Secretary  Blaine  slightly  in 
advance.  The  President  turned  around,  after  receiving  the  first 
wound  in  the  shoulder,  and  received  the  second  shot  in  the  region 
of  the  thigh,  towards  the  back.  There  was  an  interval  of  about 
four  seconds  between  the  first  and  second  shots.  Just  as  soon  as 
the  second  shot  was  fired  I  took  in  the  situation,  and  ran  out  of 
the  office  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  assassin.  In  the 
mean  time  Guiteau  tried  to  make  his  escape  by  the  main  door 
on  Sixth  Street,  bat  being  headed  off  he  turned  to  make  away 
by  the  exit  of  the  ladies'  room  on  C  Street,  when  I  grappled 
him  by  the  left  hand  and  the  left  shoulder,  and  held  him  until 
Officer  Kearney  and  Depot  Watchman  Scott  came  to  my  assist- 
ance in  a  few  moments,  the  former  holding  him  by  the  right 
shoulder  and  the  latter  securing  him  by  his  clothing  in  the 
back.  He  said  that  this  letter  which  he  held  in  his  hand  and 
flourished  frantically  about  his  head  was  going  to  General 
Sherman  and  explained  all.  When  I  first  laid  my  hand  on  him 
he  made  desperate  efforts  to  release  himself,  but  upon  finding 
that  it  was  useless  he  subsided." 


38  THE  ASSASSINATION  Off 

THE   PATIENT  AT  THE   WHITE   HOUSE. 

It  was  evident  that  whatever  was  to  be  done  must  be 
done  quickly,  and  as  it  would  be  impossible  to  proceed  with 
medical  and  surgical  treatment  at  the  depot,  it  was  decided  to 
remove  the  wounded  President  to  the  mansion.  Carefully  the 
mattress  on  which  he  lay  was  taken  up  and  borne  down  the 
long  flight  of  stairs  to  the  police  ambulance  now  awaiting  his 
coming.  It  was  a  pitiable  sight  to  see  the  somewhat  shabby 
looking  ambulance  which  contained  the  prostrate  form  of  the 
President  driving  rapidly  along  Pennsylvania  Avenue  to  the 
White  House,  surrounded  by  mounted  police,  when  one 
remembered  in  what  excellent  spirits  General  Garfield  had 
ridden  over  the  same  pavement  scarcely  an  hour  before,  or  how 
joyously  he  had  ridden  along  it  to  and  from  his  inaugura- 
tion four  months  ago.  And  by  the  same  route,  in  the  rear  of 
the  Treasury  Building,  as  the  President  drove  on  the  4th  of 
March,  surrounded  by  the  Cleveland  Horse  Troops,  to-day 
drove  the  ambulance  surrounded  by  the  mounted  police. 
Arrived  at  the  mansion,  the  President  was  carried  up-stairs  to 
the  large  chamber  in  the  south  side,  and  the  bedside  was  soon 
surrounded  by  physicians  and  agonized  friends.  The  regular 
troops  shortly  after  arrived,  and  all  the  gateways  leading  to  the 
President's  grounds  were  closed.  Armed  sentries  took  their 
places  at  the  main  gateway,  and  only  those  having  passes  were 
permitted  to  enter. 

It  was  now  half-past  ten.  A  feverish  excitement  added  to 
the  intense  heat  of  the  day.  "Will  he  die?"  "Is  he  badly 
wounded  ?"  "  What  do  the  doctors  say  ?"  and  a  hundred 
similar  inquiries  were  addressed  to  anybody  supposed  to  have 
superior  facilities  in  getting  news  from  the  White  House.  The 
sidewalks  fronting  the  W,hite  House  grounds,  and  the  square 
opposite  were  packed  with  people  peering  through  the  iron  rail- 
ing at  the  house  a  hundred  yards  distant,  as  though  something 
could  be  discovered  in  the  atmosphere  that  would  tell  them  just 
the  condition  of  the  President's  wounds.  At  eleven  o'clock 
Dr.  Barnes,  the  Surgeon-General,  sent  over  the  wires  from  the 
White  House  a  statement  that  the  wound  in  the  loin  would 
probably  prove  fatal,  though  nothing  could  be  decided  until 
consultation.  It  was  not  five  minutes  that  this  sad  news  was 
on  the  wing,  and  the  eager  crowd  whispered  it  and  sent  it  to 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  39 

overy  part  of  the  city.  The  possibility  of  the  President's 
dying  was  realized  now  for  the  first  time.  There  had  been 
hope  that  Providence  which  prepcnds  the  aims  of  assassins 
had  turned  the  bullet  in  a  harmless  direction  ;  but  too  soon  was 
it  suspected  that  the  lower  wound  was  of  a  nature  from  which 
the  President  could  scarcely  recover,  and  that  death  was  only 
a  question  of  a  few  hours. 

DIAGNOSIS    BY    THE    DOCTOES. 

Dr.  Smith  Townshend,  the  District  Health  Officer,  who  was 
the  first  physician  to  reach  the  President,  gives  the  following 
statement :  Qi  I  arrived  at  the  depot  four  minutes  after  he  was 
shot,  and  found  him  lying  upon  the  floor  of  the  depot,,  sur- 
rounded by  an  immense  gathering.  He  was  then  in  a  fainting 
condition.  From  his  appearance  and  the  pulsations  at  the 
wrist  I  thought  he  was  dying.  I  took  some  of  the  pillows  from 
under  his  head  that  he  might  rest  easier.  I  prescribed  aromatic 
spirits  of  ammonia  and  brandy,  which  revived  him.  I  ordered 
the  police  to  get  the  crowd  back,  and  had  the  President  removed 
to  an  upper  room.  He  rallied  considerably,  and  I  proceeded  to 
examine  his  wounds, ._  I  found  that  the  last  bullet  had  entered 
his  back  about  two  and  a  half  inches  to  the  right  of  the 
vertebrae.  .  When  I  placed  my  finger  in  the  wound  some 
hemorrhage  followed.  I  then  administered  another  dose  of  the 
stimulant,  which  again  revived  him.  In  the  mean  time  Drs. 
Purvis  and  Bliss  arrived.  I  had,  however,  previously  asked 
him  how  he  felt  and  where  the  most  pain  was  felt,  and  he 
answered  in  his -right  leg  and  feet.  I  asked  him  the  character 
of  his  pain,  and  he  said  that  it  was  a  pricking  sensation.  Dr. 
Woodward,  of  the  army,  also  came  in  afterwards,  and  after  a 
consultation  we  concluded  to  remove  him  to  the  White  House. 
It  was  then  about  .ten  o'clock,  and  all  the  members  of  the 
Cabinet  were  present.  I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  after  I  made 
the  examination  of  the  wounds  the"  President  looked  up  and 
-  "asked  me  what  I  thought  oHt.  I  answered  that  I  did  not  con- 
sider it  serious.  He  continued,  '  I  thank  you,  doctor,  but  I  am 
a  dead  man.'  When  we  arrived  at  the  White  House,  and  just 
before  he  was  removed  from  the  ambulance,  he  asked  me  to  call 
to  Major  Brock  to  clear  the  hall,  as  there  might  be  another 
assassin  around.  Quite  a  number  of  the  doctors  and  others 
went  along  with  the  ambulance.  When  taken  from  the  ambu- 
lance he  was  in  a  fainting  condition,  and  we  revived  him  with 


40  THE  ASSASSINATION  Off 

stimulants,  and  upon  consultation  we  concluded  to  give  a 
hypodermic  injection  of  morphia  and  allow  him  to  rest  until 
three  o'clock.  Afterwards  we  gave  him  an  injection  of  atropia 
and  morphia,  which  brought  his  pulse  up  to  eighty.  At  three 
o'clock,  when  we  had  another  consultation,  we  found  his  pulse 
102  and  temperature  96,  or  two  and  a  half  below  normal. 
While  we  were  in  consultation  he  became  very  much  nauseated 
and  vomited  considerably.  Upon  examining  the  wound  we 
found  much  dulness  and  tension  of  the  right  hypogastric  region, 
restlessness  and  pain,  which  indicated  internal  hemorrhage.  We 
immediately  gave  him  one  hypodermic  injection  of  a  quarter 
of  a  grain  of  morphia,  which  relieved  him  of  the  pain  and 
quieted  him.  At  half-past  four  o'clock  this  afternoon,  when  I 
left  him,  he  was  in  a  partially  comatose  state  and  unconscious. 
He  was  not  talking  much,  but  answered  some  of  our  questions." 
Said  Dr.  Ford,  one  of  the  attending  physicians :  "  He  is 
bearing  his  sufferings  with  remarkable  patience,  and  when  I 
took  hold  of  his  leg  the  President  requested  me  to  squeeze  it 
a  little  harder,  as  it  greatly  relieved  him."  Dr.  Ford  stated 
further  that  the  President  desired  to  know  his  exact  condition, 
and  made  his  wish  known  to  Dr.  Bliss.  The  latter  told  him 
that  he  was  seriously  injured;  that  some  slight  symptoms  of 
internal  hemorrhage  were  visible,  and  that  if  such  was  really  the 
case  it  was  a  very  serious  matter.  But  if  the  ball  had  simply 
penetrated  the  muscles,  it  would  put  a  different  face  upon  mat- 
ters, and  he  would  very  probably  recover.  The  President 
replied,  "  I  am  very  glad  to  know  my  condition  ;  I  can  bear 
it."  "  These  words,"  said  Dr.  Ford,  "  were  spoken  as  calmly 
and  peaceably  as  anything  I  had  ever  heard  in  my  life."  Dr. 
Ford  further  stated  that  at  the  consultation  at  three  o'clock  it 
was  resolved  to  hold  another  at  seven  o'clock  this  P.M.,  and  it 
was  unanimously  agreed  that  the  condition  of  the  President 
would  not  admit  of  probing  for  the  ball. 

HOW  THE  NEWS  WAS  BROKEN  TO  MRS.  GARFIELD  AT  LONG  BRANCH. 

ELBERON,  LONG  BRANCH,  July  2. — The  sea  air  has  done  won- 
ders for  Mrs.  Garfield,  who  came  here  two  weeks  ago  to-day,  en- 
feebled by  malaria  contracted  in  the  White  House.  Her  first 
week  ended  last  Saturday  happily.  She  was  a  loved  wife  and 
mother,  surrounded  by  her  husband  and  children,  and  rapidly 
regaining  health  and  strength.  Her  second  week  ends  in  the 
deepest  sorrow.  "  Who  would  have  thought,"  said  one  of  the 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  41 

most  prominent  lady  friends  of  Mrs.  Garfield,  in  this  house  this 
morning,  "  that  that  strong  man  who  went  away  from  here  on  Mon- 
day morning,  waving  adieus  to  those  he  left  behind  him  for  only 
a  few  days,  would  be  lying  at  the  point  of  death  to-night  ?" 
Never  was  more  profound  sympathy  expressed  than  that  which 
I  hear  from  all  sides  to-night.  The  corridor  of  the  hotel  ia 
filled  with  prominent  men  from  every  quarter  of  the  country, 
and  they  have  apparently  but  one  sentiment :  deep  sorrow  for 
the  dying  President,  and  pity  for  his  bereaved  household. 
Many  ladies  came  in  with  their  escorts  to  look  at  the  latest  bul- 
letins. General  Grant  also  came  a  moment  ago,  but  his  impas- 
sive face  showed  no  emotion.  He  declined  to  express  himself 
further  than  he  had  done  in  a  telegram  that  he  had  sent  to  Sec- 
retary Lincoln.  That  telegram  was  as  follows : 

To  Robert  T.  Lincoln,  Secretary  of  War,  Washington,  D.  C. : 

Please  despatch  the  condition  of  the  President;  News  re- 
ceived is  conflicting.  I  hope  the  favorable  may  be  confirmed. 
Express  to  the  President  my  deep  sympathy  and  hope  that  he 
may  speedily  recover.  II.  S.  GRANT. 

The  reply  came  only  a  short  time  ago,  after  the  General  had 
bought  some  cigars  and  gone  away  puffing  impassively.  It  is 
as  follows : 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2. 
General  U.  S.  Grant,  Elberon,  N.  J. : 

The  President's  condition  is  very  serious,  and  excites  our 
greatest  apprehensions.  There  is  internal  hemorrhage.  The 
surgeons  are  evidently  very  anxious  and  guarded  in  their  ex- 
pressions. He  is  perfectly  clear  in  mind,  and  desires  me  to 
thank  you  for  your  telegram,  which  I  just  gave  to  him  in  sub- 
stance. ROBERT  T.  LINCOLN, 

Secretary  of  War. 

Mrs.  Garfield,  Miss  Mollie  Garfield,  and  General  and  Mrs. 
Swaim  came  from  their  rooms  this  morning.  Mrs.  Garfield  ad- 
mired the  beauty  of  the  morning,  and  spoke  with  evident 
pleasure  of  the  reunion  with  President  Garfield  in  New  York 
later  in  the  day.  It  had  been  arranged  that  the  party  was  to 
set  out  for  New  York  in  a  train  of  the  Long  Branch  Division 
from  this  station  at  12.22.  From  New  York  it  was  the  purpose 
to  proceed  to  the  residence  of  Mr.  Cyrus  W.  Field,  in  Irvington, 


42  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

in  Mr.  Field's  steam  yacht.  The  cool,  bright  morning  gave 
abundant  promise  of  a  delightful  journey.  From  the  drawing- 
room  the  party  went  to  the  dining-room  and  sat  down  to  break- 
fast together.  The  breakfast  lasted  until  10  o'clock.  Then 
Mrs.  Garfield  and  her  friends  returned  to  the  drawing-room, 
whose  windows  command  a  view  of  the  ocean.  Soon  after  10 
a  bell-boy  summoned  General  Swaim  to  the  office,  where  Mr.  C. 
T.  Jones,  the  proprietor,  handed  him  a  telegram.  General 
Swaim  tore  the  telegram  open  indifferently,  supposing  that  it 
was  from  some  friend  on  business.  But  he  read  the  following : 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2,  1881. 
To  General  J.  Swaim,  Elberon : 

The  President  has  been  shot  and,  I  am  afraid,  is  seriously 
wounded.  Keep  it  from  Mrs.  Garfield  till  you  hear  further. 

Later — Doctors  say  not  dangerous.  ROCKWELL. 

General  Swaim  was  evidently  deeply  moved.  He  reflected 
for  a  moment,  and  then  returned  the  telegram  to  its  envelope 
and  put  it  in  his  breast  pocket.  He  returned  to  the  drawing- 
room  and  conversed  with  the  ladies  as  though  nothing  was  upon 
his  mind.  Several  minutes  later  the  bell-boy  again  summoned 
him  to  the  office,  where  this  telegram  awaited  him : 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2. 
To  General  Swaim: 

We  have  the  President  safely  and  comfortably  settled 'in  his 
room  at  the  Executive  Mansion,  and  his  pulse  is  strong  and 
nearly  normal.  So  far  as  I  can  determine,  and  from  what  the 
surgeons  say,  and  from  his  general  condition,  we  feel  very  hope- 
ful. Come  on  as  soon  as  you  can  get  a  special  train.  Advise 
us  of  the  movements  of  your  train,  and  when  you  can  be  ex- 
pected. As  the  President  said  on  a  similar  occasion  sixteen 
years  ago,  "God  reigns,  and  the  Government  in  Washington 
still  lives."  A.  F.  ROCKWELL. 

General  Swaim  went  into  the  drawing-room  again,  and,  with 
as  much  calmness  as  he  could  assume,  said,  "  Mrs.  Garfield,  it 
may  be  necessary  for  us  to  go  direct  to  Washington.  An  acci- 
dent has  happened  to  General  Garfield."  Mrs.  Garfield  and 
Miss  Mollie  turned  pale,  and  looked  anxiously  at  General  Swaim. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  43 

"  So  far  as  I  am  informed,"  lie  went  on,  hoping  to  avoid  close 
questioning,  "  the  accident  is  not  so  serious  as  was  at  first  sup- 
posed." Mrs.  Garfield  begged  General  Swaim  to  tell  her  the 
whole  truth,  and  as  gently  and  sympathetically  as  possible  he 
told  her.  She  and  Miss  Mollie  and  Mrs.  Swaim  retired  at  once 
to  their  rooms.  Mrs.  Garfield  was  too  much  affected  to  do  any- 
thing towards  hurrying  the  preparations  for  departure,  but  Mol- 
lie and  Mrs.  Swaim  relieved  her.  Just  before  11  o'clock  a 
telegram  for  Mrs.  Garfield  was  received  and  sent  to  her  room. 
It  was  as  follows : 

Mrs.  Garfield,  Elberon,  Long  Branch : 

The  President  desires  me  to  say  to  you,  from  him,  that  he 
has  been  seriously  hurt,  how  seriously  he  cannot  yet  say.  He  is 
himself,  and  hopes  you  will  come  to  him  soon.  He  sends  his 
love  to  you.  A.  F.  ROCKWELL. 

Hardly  had  it  been  delivered  when  another : 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2,  1881. 
To  Mrs.  J.  A.  Garfield,  Elberon,  N.  J.  : 

Don't  believe  sensational  despatches  about  the  President.  Will 
keep  you  constantly  advised.  J.  S.  BROWN. 

Close  upon  this  telegram  was  the  following: 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
ALBANY,  N.  Y.,  July  2,  1881. 
To  Mrs.  Garfield: 

Please  accept  my  earnest  sympathy  and  sincere  hope  for  the 
early  and  complete  restoration  of  the  President.  Intense  feel- 
ing of  indignation  prevails  throughout  our  State. 

ALONZO  B.  CORNELL. 

General  Swaim  at  once  made  arrangements  for  a  special  train. 
He  telegraphed  to  Jersey  City,  and  the  reply  came  that  a  special 
train,  with  parlor  car  for  Mrs.  Garfield,  would  reach  the  Elberon 
station  at  12.45.  Mr.  Jones  had  had  a  carriage  at  the  door  at  a 
few  minutes  after  12  o'clock,  and  Mrs.  Garfield  and  her  friends 
were  driven  to  the  station.  Mr.  Jones  sent  his  own  body  ser- 
vant to  wait  upon  Mrs.  Garfield  on  the  swift  journey  to  Wash- 
ington, so  as  to  spare  her  the  intrusion  of  stranger  attendants. 


44  THE  ASSASSINATION  Off 

The  train  got  under  way  on  time,  and  dashed  away  at  express 
speed.  It  was  calculated  that  the  trip  to  Philadelphia  would  be 
accomplished  in  a  little  over  two  hours,  and  that  Mrs.  Garfield 
would  arrive  in  Washington  at  7  P.M. 

MRS.    GARFIELD    WITH    HER   HUSBAND. 

Shortly  after  seven  o'clock  this  evening  a  carriage  rolled  up 
to  the  White  House  entrance,  and  Mrs.  Garfield  alighted.  With 
her  were  her  daughter  and  Mrs.  and  Miss  Rockwell.  She  hur- 
ried to  the  bedside  of  the  President,  who  recognized  her  at 
once,  and  she  began  to  converse  with  him  in  a  low  tone.  She 
exhibited  great  self-control  while  in  the  sick-room,  and  did  not 
betray  the  slightest  evidence  of  emotion.  The  President  spoke 
to  her  in  a  whisper  that  was  audible  at  the  other  end  of  the 
room.  The  physicians,  who  were  then  holding  consultation  in 
an  adjoining  room,  decided  it  unwise  to  allow  the  interview  to 
last  beyond  a  few  minutes,  and  persuaded  Mrs.  Garfield  to  take 
her  leave  for  the  time  being  at  least.  She  very  readily  assented, 
and  was  escorted  out  by  two  of  the  doctors.  When  she  had 
left  the  room  she  completely  broke  down  and  sobbed  aloud  most 


Mrs.  Garfield  pleaded  for  a  second  interview  with  her  hus- 
band, which  was  acceded  to  by  the  physicians.  The  room  was 
cleared  at  her  request,  and  she,  with  some  other  members  of  the 
family,  remained  thirty  minutes  with  the  President.  During 
this  period  the  first  favorable  symptoms  were  exhibited,  and 
from  that  moment  up  to  twelve  o'clock  everything  looked 
brighter. 

SEARCHING    THE    ASSASSIN. 

Lieutenant  Eckloff,  of  the  Metropolitan  Police  force,  received 
the  prisoner  at  police  headquarters,  and  when  interviewed  said : 
"  When  he  was  brought  in  we  searched  him,  but  he  took  from 
his  pocket  unassisted  the  pistol  that  he  had  used.  It  was  too 
large  for  the  hip  pocket,  and  he  had  considerable  difficulty  in 
getting  it  out.  He  said  to  us  that  we  need  not  be  excited  at 
all,  that  if  we  wanted  to  know  why  he  did  the  act  we  would  find 
it  in  his  papers  in  the  breast  pocket  of  his  coat.  We  took  the 
pistol  out  of  his  hand  and  found  it  to  be  a  five-shooter,  with  two 
barrels  empty.  It  was  what  is  termed  an  'English  bull-dog,' 
and  carries  a  ball  as  large  as  a  navy  revolver  does." 

The  assassin  was  taken  to  jail  by  Lieutenants  Austin  and  Eck- 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  I  Aft] 

loff  and  Detective  McElfresh,  when  the  following  conversation 
took  place  on  the  way  out : 

Mr.  McElfresh  said,  "  Where  are  you  from  ?" 

"  I  am  a  native-born  American ;  born  in  Chicago." 

"  Why  did  you  do  this  ?"  asked  the  officer. 

He  replied,  "  I  did  it  to  save  the  Republican  party." 

'*  What  is  your  politics  ?" 

He  said,  "  I  am  a  stalwart  among  the  stalwarts.  With 
Garfield  out  of  the  way  we  can  carry  all  the  Northern  States, 
and  with  him  in  the  way  we  can't  carry  a  single  one.  Who  are 
you?" 

"  A  detective  officer  of  this  department." 

"  You  stick  to  me  and  have  me  put  in  the  third  story  front 
at  the  jail.  General  Sherman  is  coming  down  to  take  charge. 
Arthur  and  all  these  men  are  my  friends,  and  I'll  have  you  made 
Chief  of  Police.  When  you  get  back  to  the  police  you  will 
tind  that  I  left  two  bundles  of  papers  at  the  news  stand,  which 
will  explain  all." 

'*  Is  there  anybody  else  with  you  in  this  matter  ?" 

"  Not  a  living  soul ;  I  contemplated  this  thing  for  the  last  few 
weeks." 

On  reaching  the  jail  the  people  there  did  not  seem  to  know 
anything  about  the  assassination,  and  when  inside  the  door  Mr. 
Russ,  the  deputy  warden,  said,  "This  man  has  been  here  be- 
fore." The  detective  then  asked  him,  "  Have  you  ever  been 
here  before  ?"  He  replied,  "  No,  sir." 

"  Well,  the  deputy  warden  seems  to  identify  you,"  said  the 
officer. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Guiteau.  "  I  was  down  here  last  Saturday 
morning  and  wanted  them  to  let  me  look  through,  and  they  told 
me  that  I  could  not,  but  to  come  on  Monday." 

"  What  was  your  object  in  looking  through  ?" 

"  I  wanted,"  he  said,  "  to  see  what  kind  of  quarters  I  would 
have  to  occupy." 

The  detective  then  searched  him,  and  when  he  pulled  off  his 
shoes  he  said,  "  Give  me  my  shoes,  I  will  catch  cold  on  the  stone 
pavement."  The  detective  then  told  him  he  could  not  have  them. 

TRACING    THE    BULLET. 

At  half-past  eight  o'clock,  when  the  physicians  saw  great 
retching  going  on,  they  determined  to  make  an  effort  to  ascer- 
tain the  exact  location  of  the  ball,  and  to  treat  the  patient 


48  TEE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

accordingly.  They  began  by  administering  stimulants,  but 
nothing  would  stay  down.  However,  a  hypodermic  injection 
was  given  and  the  examination  proceeded  with.  It  was  found 
that  the  ball  had  fractured  the  eleventh  rib  and  passed  into  the 
liver;  but  it  could  not  be  traced  further,  though  it  is  supposed  to 
have  lodged  in  the  locality  of  the  spinal  column,  the  result  of 
which  would  be  hemorrhage  of  the  liver.  At  a  quarter  of  nine 
his  pulse  was  158,  as  near  as  could  be  computed,  for  it  was  so 
faint  it  was  scarcely  perceptible  at  the  wrist.  At  this  hour  the 
doctors  thought  that  he  could  not  last  beyond  twelve  o'clock, 
while  some  looked  for  his  death  momentarily,  and  he  had  lost 
consciousness. 

At  thirty-five  minutes  after  twelve  o'clock  the  following  bul- 
letin was  issued : 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION,  12.35  P.M. 

The  reaction  from  the  shock  of  the  injury  has  been  very  grad- 
ual. He  is  suffering  some  pain,  but  it  is  thought  best  not  to 
disturb  him  by  making  any  exploration  for  the  ball  until  after 
the  consultation  at  three  P.M.  D.  W.  BLISS,  M.D. 

At  this  time  the  following  physicians  were  in  attendance, 
viz. :  Drs.  Bliss,  Ford,  Huntingdon,  Woodward,  United  States 
Army ;  Townshend,  Lincoln,  Reyburn,  Norris,  Purvis,  Patterson, 
Surgeon-General  Barnes,  and  Surgeon-General  Wales.  As  soon 
as  possible  after  consultation  Mr.  Blaine  sent  a  cable  message  to 
this  effect,  announcing  the  misfortune  to  General  Garfield  to  our 
representatives  abroad : 

DEPARTMENT  OF  STATE, 
WASHINGTON,  July  2,  1881. 
James  Russell  Lowell,  Minister,  etc.,  London  : 

The  President  of  the  United  States  was  shot  this  morning  by 
an  assassin  named  Charles  Guiteau.  The  weapon  was  a  large- 
sized  revolver.  The  President  had  just  reached  the  Baltimore 
and  Potomac  station  at  about  twenty  minutes  past  nine,  intend- 
ing, with  a  portion  of  his  Cabinet,  to  leave  on  the  limited 
express  for  New  York.  I  rode  in  the  carriage  with  him  from 
the  Executive  Mansion,  and  was  walking  by  his  side  when  he 
was  shot.  The  assassin  was  immediately  arrested,  and  the 
President  was  conveyed  to  a  private  room  in  the  station  build- 
ing and  surgical  aid  at  once  summoned.  He  has  now,  at  twenty 
minutes  past  ten,  been  removed  to  the  Executive  Mansion.  The 
surgeons  on  consultation,  regard  his  wounds  as  very  serious, 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  47 

though  not  necessarily  fatal.  His  vigorous  health  gives  strong 
hopes  of  his  recovery.  He  has  not  lost  consciousness  for  a 
moment.  Inform  our  Ministers  in  Europe. 

JAMES  G.  ELAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 

GUITEATT   IN   JAIL. 

Guiteau  on  being  arrested  was  hurried  off  to  the  District  jail. 
When  the  prisoner  arrived  there  he  was  neatly  attired  in  a  suit 
of  blue,  and  wore  a  drab  hat  pulled  down  over  his  eyes,  giving 
him  the  appearance  of  an  ugly  character.  It  may  be  worthy  of 
note  to  state  that  some  two  or  three  weeks  ago  Guiteau  went  to 
the  jail  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  it,  but  was  refused  admittance  on 
the  ground  that  it  was  not  "  visitors'  day."  He  at  that  time  men- 
tioned his  name  as  Guiteau,  and  said  that  he  came  from  Chicago. 
When  brought  to  the  jail  to-day  he  was  admitted  by  the  officer  who 
had  previously  refused  to  allow  him  to  enter,  and  a  mutual  recogni- 
tion took  place,Guiteau  saying,  "You  are  the  man  who  wouldn't  let 
me  go  through  the  jail  some  time  ago."  The  only  other  remark  he 
made  before  being  placed  in  his  cell  was  that  General  Sherman 
would  arrive  at  the  jail  soon.  The  two  jailors  state  that  they 
have  seen  him  around  the  jail  several  times  recently,  and  that  on 
one  occasion  he  appeared  to  be  under  the  influence  of  liquor. 
On  one  of  his  visits,  subsequent  to  the  first  one  mentioned,  these 
officers  say  that  Guiteau  succeeded  in  reaching  the  rotunda  of  the 
building,  where  he  was  noticed  examining  the  scaffold  from 
which  the  Hirth  murderers  were  hanged. 

Pursuant  to  his  orders  from  the  Attorney-General  the  officer 
in  charge  of  the  jail  declined  to  give  any  further  information, 
nor  would  he  state  in  what  cell  the  prisoner  was  confined.  This 
officer  was  an  attendant  at  the  old  city  jail  at  the  time  of  the 
assassination  of  President  Lincoln. 


The  following  letter  was  taken  from  the  prisoner's  pocket  at 
police  headquarters : 

July  2,  1881. 
To  the  White  House  : 

The  President's  tragic  death  was  a  sad  necessity,  but  it  will 
unite  the  Kepublican  party  and  save  the  Republic.  Life  is  a 
flimsy  dream,  and  it  matters  little  when  one  goes ;  a  human  life 


48  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

is  of  small  value.  During  the  war  thousands  of  brave  boys 
went  down  without  a  tear.  I  presume  the  President  was  a  Chris- 
tian, and  that  he  will  be  happier  in  Paradise  than  here.  It  will 
be  no  worse  for  Mrs.  Garfield,  dear  soul,  to  part  with  her  hus- 
band this  way  than  by  natural  death.  He  is  liable  to  go  at  any 
time,  any  way.  I  had  no  ill-will  towards  the  President.  His 
death  was  a  political  necessity.  I  am  a  lawyer,  a  theologian,  and 
a  politician.  I  am  a  Stalwart  of  the  Stalwarts.  I  was  with  Gen- 
eral Grant  and  the  rest  of  our  men  in  New  York  during  the  can- 
vass. I  have  some  papers  for  the  press,  which  I  shall  leave  with 
Byron  Andrews  and  his  company,  journalists,  at  No.  1420  New 
York  Avenue,  where  all  the  reporters  can  see  them.  I  am  going 
tothejaiL  CHARLES  GUITEAU. 

On  his  way  to  jail  the  prisoner  said  that  the  President's  assassi- 
ination  was  premeditated,  and  that  he  went  to  Long  Branch  for 
the  purpose  of  shooting  him  there,  and  was  deterred  by  the  en- 
feebled and  saddened  condition  of  Mrs.  Garfield,  which  ap- 
pealed so  strongly  to  his  sense  of  humanity  that  he  came 
back  without  carrying  out  his  intention.  Those  by  whom 
Guiteau  has  been  examined  since  the  shooting  say  that  he 
shows  no  symptoms  of  insanity,  and  it  is  understood  that 
the  letter  "To  the  White  House"  is  the  only  document  in 
the  collection  which  supports  the  theory  of  insanity.  Byron 
Andrews,  who  is  the  Washington  correspondent  of  the  Chicago 
Inter- Ocean,  says  that  while  it  is  true  a  package  of  papers  are 
in  the  hands  of  the  police,  accompanied  by  a  note  addressed  to 
himself  (Andrews),  he  has  no  personal  acquaintance  with  Guiteau, 
and  never  heard  of  his  existence  until  this  morning.  From  what 
he  has  gathered  from  the  police  Andrews  believes  that  Guiteau's 
home  is  in  Freeport,  111.  .  — ^_^^ 

/"A.    LETTER    TO    GENERAL    SHERMAN'. 

This  letter  was  found  on  the  street  shortly  after  the  arrest. 
The  envelope  was  unsealed  and  addressed :  "  Please  deliver  at 
once  to  General  Sherman  (or  his  first  assistant  in  charge  of  the 
War  Department)" : 

To  General  Sherman: 

I  have  just  shot  the  President.  I  shot  him  several  times,  as  I 
wished  him  to  go  as  easily  as  possible.  His  death  was  a  politi- 
cal necessity.  I  am  a  lawyer,  theologian,  and  politician ;  I  am  a 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  49 

Stalwart  of  the  Stalwarts.  I  was  with  General  Grant  and  the 
rest  of  our  men  in  New  York  during  the  canvass.  I  am  going 
to  the  jail.  Please  order  out  your  troops  and  take  possession  of 
the  jail  at  once.  Very  respectfully, 

CHARLES  GUITEAU. 

On  receiving  the  above  General  Sherman  gave  it  the  follow- 
ing endorsement : 

HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  ARMY, 
WASHINGTON,  B.C.,  July  2,  1881,  11.35  A.M. 
This   letter  .  .  .    was  handed    me  this    minute   by    Major 
William  J.  Twining,  United  States  Engineers,  Commissioner  of 
the  District  of  Columbia,  and  Major  William  G.  Brock,  Chief 
of  Police.     I  don't  know  the  writer,  never  heard  of  or  saw  him 
to  my  knowledge,  and  hereby  return  it  to  the  keeping  of  the 
above-named  parties  as  testimony  in  the  case. 

W.  T.  SHERMAN,  General. 

THE    PRISONER   ISOLATED. 

The  District  jail  was  visited  by  the  press  reporter  shortly 
after  eleven  o'clock  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  an  interview 
with  Guiteau.  The  officers  refused  admittance  to  the  building, 
stating  as  the  reason  therefor  that  they  were  acting  under  in- 
structions received  from  Attorney-General  MacVeagh,  the  pur- 
port of  which  were  that  no  one  should  be  allowed  to  see  the 
prisoner.  At  first,  indeed,  the  officers  emphatically  denied  that 
the  man  had  been  conveyed  to  the  jail,  fearing,  it  appears,  that 
should  the  fact  be  made  known  that  he  was  there,  the  building 
would  be  attacked  by  a  mob.  Information  had  reached 
them  that  such  a  movement  was  contemplated.  A  large  guard, 
composed  of  regulars  from  the  barracks,  and  a  Metropolitan 
Police  force  are  at  the  jail,  to  be  in  readiness  to  repel  an  attack. 

The  following  despatch  was  sent  by  the  Secretary  of  State  to 
Vice-President  Arthur,  at  New  York : 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2,  1881. 

At  this  hour  (1  P.M.)  the  President's  symptoms  are  not  re- 
garded as  unfavorable,  but  no  definite  assurance  can  be  given 
until  after  the  probing  of  the  wound  at  three  o'clock.  There 
are  strong  grounds  for  hope,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  gravest 
anxiety  as  to  the  final  result. 

JAMES  G.  ELAINE, 

Secretary  of  State 
8 


60  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

There  is  a  theory  which  has  many  adherents  that  the  at- 
tempted assassination  was  not  the  work  of  a  lunatic,  but  the 
result  of  a  plot  much  deeper  and  darker  than  has  been  suspected. 
It  is  cited  in  support  of  this  theory  that  Guiteau  arranged 
beforehand  with  a  hackman  to  be  in  readiness  to  drive  him 
swiftly  in  the  direction  of  the  Congressional  Cemetery  as  soon 
as  he  made  his  appearance  on  returning  from  the  depot.  In 
the  mean  time  he  had  left  a  bundle  of  papers  in  the  hands  of  a 
boy  with  a  view,  it  is  maintained,  to  creating  a  belief  in  his  in- 
sanity in  the  event  of  his  capture.  It  is  also  reported  that 
Guiteau  had  an  accomplice  whose  description  is  in  the  hands  of 
the  police. 

ENGLAND'S  OFFICIAL  SYMPATHY. 

Sir  Edward  Thornton  and  Mr.  Victor  Drummond  called  upon 
the  Secretary  of  State,  who  was  in  attendance  upon  the  Presi- 
dent at  the  Executive  Mansion,  between  four  and  five  o'clock, 
and  delivered  to  him  a  copy  of  the  following  despatch,  with 
many  expressions  of  deep  sorrow  at  the  great  tragedy  : 

LONDON,  July  2,  5  P.M. 
Thornton,  Washington: 

Is  it  true  that  President  Garfield  has  been  shot  at  ?  If  so, 
express  at  once  great  concern  of  Her  Majesty's  government  and 
our  hope  that  report  that  he  has  sustained  serious  injury  is  not 
true.  EARL  GRANVILLE,  Foreign  Office. 

Also  the  following : 

LONDON,  10.25  P.M. 
To  Sir  Edward  Thornton,  British  Embassy,  Washington  : 

The  Queen  desires  that  you  will  at  once  express  the  horror 
with  which  she  has  learned  of  the  attempt  upon  the  Presi- 
dent's life,  and  her  earnest  hope  for  his  recovery.  Her  Majesty 
wishes  for  full  and  immediate  reports  as  to  his  condition. 

LORD  GRANVILLE. 


MESSAGES    FROM    HANCOCK    AND    GRANT. 

GOVERNOR'S  ISLAND,  N.  Y. 
To  General  W.  T.  Sherman,  Washington : 

I  trust  that  the  result  of  the  assault  upon  the  life  of  the 
President  to-day  may  not  have  fatal  consequences,  and  that  in 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  51 

the  interest  of  the  country  the  act  may  be  shown  to  have  been 
that  of  a  madman.  Thanks  for  your  despatch  and  for  your 
promise  of  further  information.  W.  S.  HANCOCK. 

ELBERON,  N.  J.,  July  2,  1881. 
To  Secretary  Lincoln,  Washington  : 

Please  despatch  me  the  condition  of  the  President.  News 
received  conflicts.  I  hope  the  most  favorable  may  be  con- 
firmed. Express  to  the  President  my  deep  sympathy  and  hope 
that  he  may  speedily  recover.  U.  S.  GRANT. 

The  Star  says  in  an  extra  that  when  the  assassin  was  arrested 
he  said : 

"  I  did  it,  and  want  to  be  arrested.  I  am  a  stalwart,  and 
Arthur  is  President  now.  I  have  a  letter  here  that  I  want  you 
to  give  to  General  Sherman.  It  will  explain  everything.  Take 
me  to  the  police  station." 

MKS.    GARFIELD    IN   WASHINGTON. 

Mrs.  Garfield  travelled  from  Elberon  in  a  special  car.  One 
engine  broke  down  during  the  journey,  and  the  Pennsylvania 
Company  immediately  supplied  another.  Mrs.  Garfield  arrived 
at  fifteen  minutes  to  seven  o'clock  P.M.,  and  was  immediately 
conducted  to  the  President's  apartment.  At  seven  o'clock  this 
telegram  was  sent  by  Secretary  Elaine  to  Vice-President  Arthur : 

Mrs.  Garfield  has  just  arrived — a  quarter  before  seven  o'clock. 
The  President  was  able  to  recognize  and  converse  with  her,  but 
in  the  judgment  of  his  physicians  he  is  rapidly  sinking. 

JAMES  G.  ELAINE. 

HALF   HOURLY    BULLETINS. 

During  the  evening  half  hourly  bulletins  of  the  President's 
condition  were  sent  out,  among  which  were  the  following  : 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2,  7.40  P.M. 

The  President's  condition  is  not  perceptibly  changed  eitner 
for  the  better  or  the  worse.  His  voice  is  strong,  his  mind  un- 
impaired, and  he  talks  freely  with  those  about  him. 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION,  8.25  P.M. 

The  President  is  again  sinking,  and  there  is  little  if  any 
hope. 


52  TEE  ASSASSINATION  OP 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION,  9.20  P.M. 

The  President  has  rallied  a  little  within  the  past  three-quar- 
ters of  an  hour,  and  his  symptoms  are  a  little  more  favorable. 
He  continues  brave  and  cheerful.  About  the  time  he  began  to 
rally  he  said  to  Dr.  Bliss,  "  Doctor,  what  are  the  indications  ?" 
Dr.  Bliss  replied,  "  There  is  a  chance  of  recovery."  "  Well, 
then,"  replied  the  President,  cheerfully,  "  we  will  take  that 
chance."  The  President  is  still  sleeping. 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION,  10.20  P.M. 

The  President's  symptoms  continue  to  grow  more  favorable 
and  to  afford  more  ground  for  hope.  His  temperature  is  now 
normal,  his  pulse  has  fallen  four  beats  since  the  last  official  bul- 
letin, and  the  absence  of  blood  in  the  discharges  from  the  blad- 
der shows  that  that  organ  is  not  injured  as  had  been  feared. 

WASHINGTON,  11  P.M. 

Mrs.  Garfield,  although  weak  from  her  recent  illness  and 
shocked  by  the  suddenness  of  the  grief  which  has  come  to  her, 
has  behaved  since  her  arrival  with  a  courage  and  self-control 
equal  to  those  of  her  husband.  Not  only  has  she  not  given 
way  to  the  terror  and  grief  which  she  necessarily  feels,  but  she 
has  been  constantly  by  the  President's  side  encouraging  him 
with  her  presence  and  sympathy,  and  giving  efficient  aid,  so  far 
as  has  been  in  her  power,  to  the  attending  physicians. 

WASHINGTON,  July  2,  12  P.M. 

The  improvement  in  the  President's  condition  is  still  main- 
tained. He  is  resting  quietly. 

THRILLING    STORY    OF   THE    SHOOTING   BY   AN   E7E-WTTNE8S. 

The  train  by  which  President  Garfield  was  to  have  travelled 
to  New  York  arrived  at  the  Pennsylvania  depot  in  Jersey  City 
at  a  quarter  to  four  o'clock.  It  left  Washington  a  little  after 
half-past  nine  and  was  due  at  Jersey  City  at  twenty-four  min- 
utes to  four.  It  was  composed  of  three  Pullman  cars  and  an 
engine.  There  were  not  many  passengers  on  it,  and  most  of 
those  were  ladies.  Great  crowds  of  people,  anxious  to  learn 
some  particulars  of  the  shooting,  thronged  the  depot  and  the 
streets  in  the  neighborhood.  The  moment  passengers  by  what 
at  that  time  had  come  to  be  called  the  President's  train  alighted 
they  were  accosted  and  challenged  for  information.  Very  few 
of  them  knew  anything  more  than  they  had  gleaned  from  the 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  53 

newspapers  along  the  route,  and  so  the  multitude  had  to  dis- 
perse unsatisfied.  The  conductor  in  charge  of  the  train  in- 
formed a  reporter  of  the  Herald  that  there  was  a  gentleman  on 
the  train  who  had  witnessed  the  whole  occurrence  of  the  assas- 
sination of  the  President  and  he  seemed  to  be  deeply  distressed 
about  it.  After  a  search  among  the  passengers  scattered 
through  the  depot  and  ferry-house,  the  reporter  at  length  found 
the  gentleman.  He  proved  to  be  Mr.  Simon  Camacho,  the 
Minister  from  Venezuela,  and  though  he  was  somewhat  reluct- 
ant at  first  to  speak  on  the  subject,  being  deeply  moved  when  it 
was  spoken  of  to  him,  he  subsequently  consented  to  describe 
what  he  heard  and  saw.  To  the  reporter's  first  question  Mr. 
Camacho  said  :  "  I  went  to  the  Baltimore  and  Potomac  depot 
early,  because  I  had  to  meet  some  friends." 

"  What  time  did  you  get  there  ?" 

"  About  nine  o'clock.  I  had  to  wait  for  Mrs.  General  Blake 
and  daughters,  as  they  were  going  to  New  York  with  me  on  the 
half-past  nine  train.  It  was  the  limited  express." 

"  Were  you  waiting  in  the  depot  ?" 

"  No ;  I  was  standing  at  the  entrance  to  the  station  on  B 
Street." 

"Did  you  see  anything  of  the  man  who  shot  the  President 
while  you  were  there  ?" 

"  No,  not  there ;  that  is  the  ladies'  entrance,  and  there  were 
not  many  people  about.  I  saw  Secretary  Lincoln  drive  up  in 
his  carriage.  He  was  alone.  Some  little  time  after,  the  Secre- 
tary Oi!  the  Navy  drove  up  in  his  carriage,  accompanied  by  a 
lady." 

"  How  soon  after  that  did  the  President  arrive?" 

"  Not  long  after." 

"  What  hour  was  it  when  he  got  to  the  station  f ' 

"  A  quarter  past  nine  o'clock  exactly.     He  and   Secretary 
Rtaine  drove  up  together  in  a  carriage." 
a"  Did  you  notice  how  the  President  was  dressed  ?" 

"  Yes ;  he  wore  a  long  duster,  and  was  out  of  the  carriage 
before  I  recognized  him.  Mr.  Blaine  and  he  sat  and  talked  a 
while  before  leaving  the  carriage.  They  seemed  to  be  in  cap- 
ital spirits.  Mr.  Blaine  was  tossing  his  cane  up  and  down  as  he 
tahced." 

"  Did  you  remain  at  the  ladies'  entrance  ?" 

"  When  the  bell  signalled  the  approaching  departure  of  the 
train  I  turned  and  went  into  the  depot.  I  gave  up  all  hope  of 


54  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

meeting  my  friends,  and  concluded  to  go  on  the  cars  and  take 
my  place." 

"  Where  were  you  when  the  shooting  occurred  ?" 

"  On  my  way  to  the  train  yard  through  the  station.  I  wa§ 
already  very  near  the  door  which  divides  the  ladies'  room  from 
the  large  hall,  and  I  heard  the  noise  of  quick  steps  on  the  floor. 
The  report  of  a  pistol  followed  immediately.  I  turned  quickly 
and  saw  a  man  firing  a  second  shot  into  the  back  of  President 
Garfield.  The  second  shot  succeeded  the  first  one  very  rap- 
idly." 

"  Would  you  be  kind  enough  to  explain  to  me  how  the  Presi- 
dent was  going  at  that  instant?" 

"  He  entered  with  Mr.  Elaine  by  the  door  at  which  I  was 
standing.  There  is  an  almost  similar  door  at  the  opposite  end 
of  the  building  that  leads  to  the  train  yard,  and  he  was  moving 
across  the  building  in  that  direction." 

"  What  happened  when  he  was  hit  the  second  time  ?" 

"  Well,  he  fell — that  is,  he  dropped  or  sank  as  it  might  be, 
and  fell  forward  near  the  wall.  His  knees  seemed  to  bend,  and 
he  leaned  a  little  towards  the  right  as  he  fell  face  downwards." 

"  Did  he  speak  ?" 

"  No ;  not  a  word." 

"  Nor  utter  a  cry  ?" 

"  I  heard  none." 

"What  did  Mr.  Elaine  do?" 

"  At  the  first  shot  he  turned,  but  in  a  minute  he  regained  his 
ground  and  went  to  the  assistance  of  the  President." 

"  Were  both  shots  fired  into  the  President's  back  ?" 

"  No.  The  first  was  fired  at  his  side,  a  sort  of  tnree-quarter 
side,  and  the  second  was  directly  in  his  back." 

"  Was  the  assassin  arrested  at  once  ?" 

"  No ;  he  made  a  dash  for  the  B  Street  door,  and  at  the  same 
moment  I  started  to  intercept  and  arrest  him." 

"Had  he  the  pistol?" 

"  Yes ;  he  held  the  pistol  in  his  right  hand ;  but  I  knew  that 
a  man  bent  on  killing  a  man  would  not  readily  attack  a  third ; 
at  all  events  I  meant  to  take  the  consequences.  I  could  have 
crossed  the  space  in  the  building  to  him  but  for  the  heatev, 
which  stood  in  the  center.  I  had  to  go  round  that  way.  When 
he  saw  that  he  must  be  caught  at  that  door  he  wheeled  and  ran 
to  the  other,  at  what  I  may  call  the  rear  end  of  the  building. 
By  that  move  he  escaped  me  and  got  into  the  yard." 


PRESIDENT  &ARFIELD.  55 

"  He  was  arrested  there  ?" 

"  Yes ;  by  a  number  of  men,  and  almost  instantly  the  cry 
went  up,  '  Lynch  !  lynch !  lynch ! '  It  was  an  awful  moment — 
dreadful." 

"  What  did  the  assassin  look  like  ?" 

"  He  was  white,  sunburned,  short,  stout ;  what  I  should  call 
powerful.  He  had  auburn  hair  and  looked  angry  and  full  of 
resolution." 

"  You  did  not  think  he  was  a  lunatic  ?" 

"  No,  sir ;  nothing  of  the  kind.  He  looked  like  a  man  who 
had  come  there  prepared  and  determined,  and  he  carried  out  his 
terrible  purpose." 

"  Mr.  Elaine,  you  say,  made  a  motion  as  if  to  escape  at  the 
first  shot  ?" 

"  At  the  first  moment  he  jumped  towards  the  door,  but  he 
came  back  immediately  to  help  the  President." 

"Could  he  have  saved  the  President?" 

"  No,  sir ;  the  shooting  was  too  rapid  and  unexpected.  I 
might  have  been  able  to  do  something  if  the  heater  had  not 
been  between  me  and  the  assassin  ;  but  as  it  was,  all  present 
were  powerless." 

"  What  had  become  of  Secretaries  Lincoln  and  Hunt  ?" 

"  When  a  mattress  was  brought  to  place  the  President  on  I 
saw  them  entering  from  the  large  hall  into  the  ladies'  reception 
room." 

"  Were  there  none  of  the  station  authorities  about  the 
place  ?" 

"  The  B  Street  door  was  shut  by  a  tall  man,  who  compelled 
the  people  to  keep  back  from  the  spot  where  the  President  was 
lying." 

"  The  people  soon  understood  what  had  occurred  ?" 

"  Yes,  instantly.  The  news  spread  like  wildfire,  and  the  ex- 
citement was  intense.  The  voice  of  the  gateman  started  me  to 
go  to  the  train.  I  found  my  friends  at  that  moment.  They 
were  entering  the  car,  and  I  followed  them." 

"Did  you  tell  no  one  what  you  had  witnessed!" 

"  Yes ;  as  Secretary  Blaine  was  moving  towards  the  fallen 
President  I  said  to  him,  '  Mr.  Secretary,  I  have  seen  every- 
thing.' " 

"  I  suppose  you  met  Mrs.  Garfield  on  the  road  ?" 

"  We  passed  her,  poor  lady,  at  Trenton.  This  murderous 
attack  reminds  me  of  the  one  by  which  President  Prado  per- 


56  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

ished.  He  was  going  with  two  friends  into  the  senate  chamber 
of  Lima  when  a  soldier  shot  him  in  the  back.  Prado  staggered 
some  few  feet  and  fell  just  as  did  President  Garfield." 

MRS.    GARFIELD    AND    THE    CABINET    OFFICERS. 

Secretary  Lincoln,  who,  with  his  wife  and  little  girl,  remained 
in  constant  attendance  at  the  White  House  from  the  time  the 
President  arrived,  seemed  to  feel  the  blow  more  deeply,  per- 
haps, than  any  one  except  Mr.  Blaine.  The  memories  of  that 
terrible  night,  sixteen  years  ago,  when  his  father  was  assassinated, 
were  evidently  uppermost  in  his  mind,  and  he  referred  to  that 
sad  event  several  times. 

"  My  God !"  he  exclaimed  this  afternoon  when  the  news  was 
brought  out  from  the  doctors  that  the  case  was  well-nigh  hope- 
less. "How  many  hours  of  sorrow  I  have  passed  in  this 
town." 

Postmaster-G-eneral  James  here  interposed  and  said  to  Mr. 
Lincoln,  "  Do  you  remember  how  often  General  Garfield  has 
referred  to  your  father  during  the  past  few  days  ?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mr.  Lincoln,  "  and  it  was  only  night  before 
last  that  I  entered  into  a  detailed  recital  of  the  events  on  that 
awful  night." 

Secretary  Kirkwood  said  very  little  during  the  day  except  to 
refer  to  the  remarkably  good  spirits  of  the  President  yesterday. 
"  I  never  saw  him  so  light-hearted  as  yesterday  afternoon.  We 
had  a  long  Cabinet  session,  and  the  President  was  the  life  of 
the  meeting.  He  interspersed  the  proceedings  with  anecdotes 
and  jokes.  He  especially  referred  to  the  convalescence  of  Mrs. 
Garfield,  and  the  anticipated  pleasures  of  his  visit  to  his  old 
Alma  Mater,  the  meeting  with  his  old  schoolmates,  and  his  trip 
to  New  England." 

About  three  o'clock  this  afternoon  his  son,  James,  could  not 
contain  his  pent-up  grief  any  longer,  and  broke  out  into  sobs. 
His  father  sadly  said,  "  Jimmy,  my  son,  hope  for  the  best." 

The  President  talked  considerably  during  the  day.  Accord- 
ing to  Dr.  Bliss  he  was  at  times  jocular,  and  the  vein  of  his 
conversation  was  of  a  light  character  and  calculated  to  cheer  up 
his  friends  and  attendants.  A  short  time  after  he  was  put  to 
bed  a  messenger  was  despatched  to  a  neighboring  establishment 
for  one  bottle  of  brandy.  The  man  brought  two,  and  the  Presi- 
dent, perceiving  it,  joked  with  Dr.  Bliss  about  a  double  allow- 
ance. The  President  informed  Dr.  Bliss  that  he  desired  to  be 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  57 

kept  accurately  informed  about  his  condition.  Conceal  nothing 
from  me,  doctors,"  said  he,  "  for  remember  that  I  am  not  afraid 
to  die."  Towards  four  o'clock,  when  the  evidence  of  internal 
hemorrhage  became  unmistakable  and  all  the  indications  pointed 
to  his  dissolution,  the  President  asked  Dr.  Bliss  what  the  pros- 
pects were.  He  said,  "  Are  they  bad,  doctor  ?  Don't  be 
afraid  ;  tell  me  frankly.  I  am  ready  for  the  worst." 

"Mr.  President,"  replied  Dr.  Bliss,  "your  condition  is 
extremely  critical.  I  do  not  think  you  can  live  many  hours." 

"  God's  will  be  done,  doctor ;  I'm  ready  to  go  if  my  time  has 
come,"  firmly  responded  the  wounded  man. 

Of  all  the  Cabinet,  Secretary  Blaine  was,  to  all  outward 
appearances,  the  most  distressed.  He  was  very  pale,  and  evi- 
dently was  making  a  strong  effort  to  keep  up  his  strength. 
When  Mrs.  Garfield  alighted  from  her  carriage,  weeping,  and 
followed  by  her  daughter,  Mr.  Blaine  broke  completely  down 
and  wept  for  several  minutes. 

Mrs.  Garfield  was  escorted  by  her  son  James  up  the  stairs,  the 
boy,  a  lad  of  fifteen,  holding  her  tightly  by  the  waist  and  con- 
stantly whispering  words  of  comfort  in  her  ear.  Upon  entering  the 
apartment  over  which  the  shadow  of  death  was  beginning  to 
hover,  all  present  silently  retired,  and  the  dying  President  and 
his  wife  were  left  alone.  This  was  at  precisely  6.50.  They 
remained  together  for  fifteen  minutes.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
the  doctors  were  again  admitted  to  the  room.  They  found  the 
President  perfectly  conscious,  but  much  weaker,  his  pulse  being 
146.  M  There  is  no  hope  for  him,"  said  Dr.  Bliss ;  "  he  will  not 
probably  live  three  hours,  and  may  die  in  half  an  hour.  The 
bullet  has  pierced  the  liver,  and  it  is  a  fatal  wound." 

Colonel  Corbin,  who  came  up  with  the  President  a  few  moments 
after  he  was  shot,  said  he  regarded  his  wound  as  mortal  from 
the  moment  he  saw  him  lying  on  the  floor  of  the  depot.  "  I 
had  seen  too  many  men  die  on  the  battle-field  not  to  know 
death's  mark.  In  my  opinion  he  was  virtually  a  dead  man  from 
the  moment  he  was  shot." 

Telegrams  from  all  parts  of  the  country  and  Europe  kept 
pouring  in  at  the  White  House  all  the  afternoon.  Great  sur- 
prise was  expressed  that  neither  General  Grant,  Conkling,  Arthur, 
nor  any  of  the  leading  Stalwarts  had  sent  despatches  of  sym- 
pathy up  to  a  late  hour  in  the  afternoon.  Many  prominent 
Democrats,  among  them  Senators  Beck,  Pugh,  and  Jones,  of 
Florida,  and  Representative  Randolph  Tucker,  of  Virginia, 


58  T8E  ASSASSINATION  Off 

spent  several  hours  at  the  White  House,  and  were  deeply  con- 
cerned in  the  bulletins  from  the  physicians.  Senator  Pugh 
said  he  regarded  the  death  of  the  President  as  a  great  calamity, 
and  one  that  might  tend  to  check  the  present  prosperity  of  the 
country  and  of  his  section. 

The  room  to  which  General  Garfield  was  taken  is  on  the  south- 
eastern corner  of  the  mansion.  The  one  occupied  by  him  when 
Mrs.  Garfield  is  in  the  city  adjoins  this  apartment.  Besides  the 
half-dozen  attending  physicians  and  three  or  four  attendants,  there 
was  an  average  of  five  or  six  other  persons  in  the  room  during 
the  entire  day.  The  library,  the  Cabinet  room,  and  the  private 
secretaries'  rooms  were  filled  with  officers  during  the  afternoon 
and  evening.  The  correspondents  of  the  press  were  given  every 
facility  to  observe  the  progress  of  events  by  private  secretary 
Brown,  and  were  also  given  access  to  the  doors  of  the  sick- 
room. 

GUITEAU'S    STORY. 

The  excitement  and  indignation  became  so  great  among  the 
crowds  that  were  rapidly  assembling  in  all  parts  of  the  city  that 
the  authorities  grew  apprehensive  for  the  safety  of  the  prisoner, 
and  in  order  that  any  attempt  at  lynching  might  be  frustrated  it 
was  determined  to  remove  him  to  the  District  jail,  and  General 
Sherman  was  applied  to  for  the  assistance  of  the  military  in 
case  of  an  emergency.  General  Sherman,  after  consulting  Sec- 
retary Lincoln,  ordered  out  three  companies  of  United  States 
artillery  from  the  arsenal,  one  company  being  mounted  as 
cavalry  and  two  serving  as  infantry.  One  mounted  and  one 
foot  company  were  stationed  about  the  White  House  and 
grounds,  and  one  was  stationed  at  the  jail.  The  District  militia 
were  also  ordered  to  hold  themselves  is  readiness,  and  remained 
under  arms  at  their  armories  all  day.  Guiteau  was  taken  to  jail 
in  a  carriage  by  Lieutenants  Austin  and  Eckloff  and  Detective 
McElfresh,  of  the  District  police.  The  last  named  officer  reports 
the  following  conversation  with  the  prisoner  while  being  con- 
ducted to  jail :  "  I  asked  him,  Where  are  you  from  ?" 

"  I  am  a  native-born  American.  Born  in  Chicago,  and  am  a 
lawyer  and  a  theologian." 

"Why  did  you  do  this?" 

"  I  did  it  to  save  the  Republican  party." 

"  What  are  your  politics  ?" 

"I  am  a  Stalwart  among  the  Stalwarts.     With  Garfield  out  of 


PRESIDENT  GAEFIELD.  59 

the  way,  we  can  carry  all  the  Northern  States,  and  with  him  in 
the  way  we  can't  carry  a  single  one." 

Upon  learning  that  McElfresh  was  a  detective,  Guiteau  said: 
"You  stick  to  me  and  have  me  put  in  the  third  story,  front,  at 
the  jail.  General  Sherman  is  coming  down  to  take  charge.  Ar- 
thur and  all  those  men  are  my  friends,  and  I'll  have  you  made 
chief  of  police.  When  you  go  back  to  the  depot  you  will  find 
that  I  left  two  bundles  of  papers  at  the  news-stand  which  will 
explain  all." 

"Is  there  anybody  else  with  you  in  this  matter?" 

"  Not  a  living  soul.  I  have  contemplated  the  thing  for  the 
last  six  weeks,  and  would  have  shot  him  when  he  went  away 
with  Mrs.  Garfield,  but  I  looked  at  her,  and  she  looked  so  bad 
that  I  changed  my  mind." 

On  reaching  the  jail  the  officers  of  the  institution  did  not 
seem  to  know  anything  about  the  assassination,  and  when  taken 
inside  Mr.  Russ,  the  deputy  warden,  said :  "  This  man  has  been 
here  before." 

The  detective  then  asked  Guiteau,  "Have  you  ever  been  here 
before?"  He  replied,  "No,  sir." 

"Well,  the  deputy  warden  seems  to  identify  you." 

"  Yes,  I  was  down  here  last  Saturday  morning  and  wanted 
them  to  let  me  look  through,  and  they  told  me  that  I  couldn't, 
but  to  come  Monday." 

"  What  was  your  object  in  looking  through  ?" 

"  I  wanted  to  see  what  sort  of  quarters  I  would  have  to  oc- 
cupy." 

Continuing,  the  detective  said:  "I  then  searched  him,  and 
when  I  pulled  off  his  shoes  he  said,  '  Give  me  my  shoes ;  I  will 
catch  cold  on  this  stone  pavement.'  I  told  him  he  cquldn't  have 
them,  and  then  he  said,  'Give  me  a  pair  of  pumps,  then.'" 

The  pistol  used  by  the  prisoner  is  a  bulldog,  44  calibre,  five- 
shooter,  and  there  are  three  loads  remaining  in  it.  Guiteau  did 
not  throw  it  away,  but  had  it  in  his  hands  when  arrested.  Gui- 
teau had  been  noticed  lounging  about  the  White  House  and 
State  Department  since  the  4th  of  March  last.  He  was  regarded 
as  a  harmless  lunatic  by  the  officers,  and  was  frequently  refused 
admission.  When  denied  admission  to  the  Executive  Mansion 
he  would  linger  about  the  grounds,  and  when  told  at  the  State 
Department  that  he  could  not  see  Secretary  Elaine  he  would 
linger  in  the  corridors,  and  earned  the  reputation  of  being  one 
of  the  most  determined  and  persistent  of  office-seekers  in  the 


60  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

field.  His  application  was  filed  for  appointment  as  Minister  to 
Austria,  also  as  Consul  to  Liverpool  and  Consul-General  to 
Paris.  These  papers  would  seem  to  indicate  some  aberration 
or  failing  of  the  mind,  as  there  was  no  signature  to  give  them 
weight.  His  papers  were  written  by  himself,  and  were  accom- 
panied by  a  printed  speech,  which  he  said  he  had  delivered 
during  the  late  campaign  in  the  State  of  New  York.  He  is  a 
man  apparently  between  35  and  40  years  of  age,  about  5  feet  8 
inches  in  height,  of  medium  weight,  with  an  ordinary  coun- 
tenance, without  a  single  marked  feature.  He  has  a  sandy 
complexion,  light  gray  eyes,  with  a  very  closely-cropped  beard 
and  hair.  He  was  rather  poorly  dressed  when  he  made  his  first 
appearance  at  the  State  Department.  As  time  passed  by  he 
grew  more  shabby,  and  when  last  seen  he  had  reached  that  point 
when  the  worn  sleeves  were  pulled  down  over  his  hands  and  his 
coat  buttoned  close  and  high  to  denote  the  disappearance  of 
collar,  and  perhaps  other  linen. 

Guiteau,  while  waiting  at  the  White  House  in  the  hope  of 
securing  an  interview,  has  frequently  addressed  notes  to  the 
President,  of  which  the  following  is  a  specimen : 

"  I  regret  the  trouble  that  you  are  having  with  Senator  Conk- 
ling.  You  are  right  and  should  maintain  your  position.  You 
have  my  support  and  that  of  all  patriotic  citizens.  I  would  like 
an  audience  of  a  few  moments." 

While  thus  waiting  he  would  help  himself  to  stationery  and 
write  innumerable  letters.  He  would  also  utilize  blank  cards. 
Writing  his  name  upon  them,  he  would  place  them  in  his  pocket. 
One  day  Colonel  Crook,  the  disbursing  clerk,  said  to  him,  "  You 
seem  to  make  yourself  at  home  here,  and  to  be  laying  in  a  sup- 
ply of  stationery."  Guiteau  replied  to  him,  in  an  insolent  man- 
ner, "  Do  you  know  who  I  am  ?  I  am  one  of  the  men  who 
made  Garfield  President."  Colonel  Crook  told  Mr.  Brown,  the 
President's  private  secretary,  of  this,  when  that  gentleman  in- 
formed Colonel  Crook  of  the  true  character  of  Guiteau,  and  he 
has  not  been  allowed  to  take  liberties  with  the  White  House  sta- 
tionery since.  He  has  not  been  at  the  White  House  for  about  a 
week  until  last  evening,  when  Colonel  Crook  discovered  him, 
about  seven  o'clock,  standing  on  the  porch  at  the  main  entrance. 

Dr.  Townshend,  Health  Officer  of  the  District,  in  conversation 
this  afternoon  said :  "  I  found  the  President,  when  I  arrived  at 
the  Baltimore  and  Potomac  depot,  about  five  minutes  after  the 
shooting,  in  a  vomiting  and  fainting  condition.  I  had  his  head 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  61 

lowered — it  had  been  elevated  by  the  attendant — and  adminis- 
tered aromatic  spirits  of  ammonia  and  brandy  to  revive  him. 
This  had  the  desired  effect,  and  the  President  regaining  con- 
sciousness, was  asked  where  he  felt  the  most  pain.  He  replied 
in  the  leg  and  foot.  I  then  examined  the  wound,  introducing 
my  fingers,  which  caused  a  slight  hemorrhage.  I  then  decided 
to  have  him  moved  up-stairs  from  the  crowd.  Soon  after  get- 
ting him  there,  Drs.  Smith  and  Purvis  arrived,  and,  upon  con- 
sultation with  them,  it  was  decided  to  remove  him  to  the  White 
House.  Dr.  Smith  and  myself  accompanied  the  President  in 
the  ambulance  to  the  White  House,  where  another  examination 
was  made,  and  stimulants  again  administered.  An  ineffectual 
attempt  was  made  to  trace  the  course  of  the  wound,  and  at  12.20 
the  President  suffering  much  pain,  a  hypodermic  injection  of 
morphine  was  administered." 

One  of  the  telegraphers  who  carried  a  telegram  to  the  Presi- 
dent during  the  afternoon  was  asked  by  the  wounded  man  if 
there  had  been  many  despatches  received  to-day  regarding  his 
misfortunes.  The  operator  replied,  "Yes,  sir,  quite  a  number 
expressing  sympathy  for  you."  The  President  responded  good- 
humoredly,  "  Excuse  me  for  correcting  you,  but  '  sympathy 
with  me '  would  be  better.  Be  careful  of  your  grammar." 

GUITEAU    IN    JAIL. 

The  Assassin  Saved  from  the  Mob  and  Locked  in  a  Cell. 

WASHINGTON,  July  2. 

The  District  jail,  a  large  brown-stone  structure  situated  at  the 
eastern  extremity  of  the  city,  was  visited  by  an  Associated  Press 
reporter  a  few  minutes  after  eleven  o'clock  this  morning  for 
the  purpose  of  obtaining  an  interview  with  Charles  Guiteau, 
the  assassin  of  President  Garfield.  The  officers  refused  admit- 
tance to  the  building,  stating  that  they  were  acting  under  in- 
structions from  Attorney-General  MacVeagh,  the  purport  of 
which  were  that  no  one  should  be  allowed  to  see  the  prisoner. 
At  first,  indeed,  the  officers  emphatically  denied  that  the  man 
had  been  conveyed  to  the  jail,  fearing,  it  appears,  that  should 
the  fact  be  made  known  that  he  was  there  the  building  would 
be  attacked  by  a  mob.  Information  had  reached  them  that 
such  a  movement  was  contemplated.  The  statement  that 
the  assassin's  name  is  Guiteau  was  verified  by  the  officer  in 
charge  of  the  jail.  The  prisoner  arrived  and  was  placed  in  a 


62  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

cell  about  10.30  o'clock,  just  one  hour  after  the  shooting  oc- 
curred. He  gave  his  name  as  Charles  Guiteau,  of  Chicago.  In 
appearance  he  is  about  thirty  years  of  age,  and  is  supposed  to  be 
of  French  descent.  His  height  is  about  5  feet  5  inches.  He 
has  a  sandy  complexion,  and  is  slight,  weighing  not  more  than 
125  pounds.  He  wears  a  moustache  and  light  chin  whiskers,  and 
his  sunken  cheeks  and  eyes,  far  apart  from  each  other,  give  him  a 
sullen,  or,  as  the  officers  described  it,  a  "  loony"  appearance.  The 
officer  in  question  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  Guiteau  is  a  Chicago 
Communist,  and  stated  that  he  has  noticed  it  to  be  a  peculiarity 
of  nearly  all  murderers  that  their  eyes  are  far  apart,  and  G-uiteau, 
he  said,  proves  no  exception  to  the  rule.  When  the  prisoner 
arrived  at  the  jail  he  was  neatly  attired  in  a  suit  of  blue,  and  wore 
a  drab  hat,  pulled  down  over  his  eyes,  giving  him  the  appearance 
of  an  ugly  character.  It  may  be  worthy  of  note  that  about  two 
or  three  weeks  ago  Guiteau  went  to  the  jail  for  the  purpose  of 
visiting  it,  but  was  refused  admittance  on  the  ground  that  it  was 
not  "  visitors'  day."  He  at  that  time  mentioned  his  name  as 
Guiteau,  and  said  that  he  came  from  Chicago.  When  brought  to 
the  jail  to-day  he  was  admitted  by  the  officer  who  had  previously 
refused  to  allow  him  to  enter,  and  a  mutual  recognition  took 
place,  Guiteau  saying,  "You  are  the  man  who  wouldn't  let  me 
go  through  the  jail  some  time  ago."  The  only  other  remark  he 
made  before  being  placed  in  his  cell  was  that  Gen.  Sherman 
would  arrive  at  the  jail  soon.  The  two  jailors  who  are  guarding 
his  cell  state  that  they  have  seen  him  around  the  jail  Several 
times  recently,  and  that  on  one  occasion  he  appeared  to  be 
under  the  influence  of  liquor.  On  one  of  his  visits  subsequent 
to  the  one  mentioned  these  officers  say  that  Guiteau  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  rotunda  of  the  building,  where  he  was  noticed 
examining  the  scaffold  from  which  the  Hirth  murderers  were 
hanged.  Pursuant  to  his  orders  from  the  Attorney-General,  the 
officer  in  charge  of  the  jail  declined  to  give  any  further  informa- 
tion, nor  would  he  state  in  what  cell  the  prisoner  was  confined. 
This  officer  was  an  attendant  at  the  old  City  Jail  at  the  time  of 
the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln. 

Charles  Guiteau  came  here  in  the  month  of  February,  with 
recommendations  from  various  persons  in  Illinois,  to  secure  the 
United  States  Consulship  at  Marseilles,  France.  He  went  in 
March  to  the  well-known  boarding-house  of  Mrs.  Lockwood 
(formerly  Mrs.  Rines)  No.  810  Twelfth  Street,  and  tried  to  secure 
board.  Mrs.  Lockwood  did  not  like  his  appearance,  and  gave 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  63 

him  an  out-of-the-way  room  in  the  house,  in  the  hope  of  getting 
rid  of  him.  He  pretended  to  know  Gen.  Logan  and  others  then 
boarding  there.  He  appeared  to  get  along  very  well  with  him- 
self, but  not  with  the  boarders,  who  avoided  him  as  much  as 
possible.  "  He  appeared  to  have  a  cat-like  tread,"  said  one  of 
the  boarders,  "  and  walked  so  easily  that  he  was  always  up 
alongside  persons  before  they  knew  it."  He  was  said  to  be 
rude  at  the  table,  too,  so  much  so  that  a  gentleman  and  his  wife 
stopping  there  would  not  sit  beside  him  at  the  table.  Mrs. 
Lockwood  states  that  he  acted  strangely  at  times,  and  about  the 
middle  of  the  month,  when  she  presented  his  bill,  he  could  not 
pay  it.  He  afterwards  left  the  house,  and  sent  Mrs.  Lockwood  a 
note  stating  that  he  was  expecting  a  six-thousand-dollar  position 
and  would  soon  pay  his  bill.  Mrs.  Lockwood  showed  this  note 
to  Gen.  Logan,  who  said  the  man  was  crazy.  Three  weeks  ago 
he  met  Mrs.  Ricksford,  of  Mrs.  Lockwood's  boarding-house,  on 
the  street,  and  requested  her  not  to  say  anything  about  the  bill 
he  owed  as  it  would  injure  him  in  his  efforts  to  secure  a  posi- 
tion. He  expressed  great  pleasure  at  the  fact  that  Mrs.  Lock- 
wood  had  treated  him  kindly  while  he  was  at  her  house.  Mrs. 
Lockwood  said  that  Guiteau  was  a  great  bother  to  Gen.  Logan, 
so  persistent  was  he  in  his  attempts  to  secure  that  gentleman's 
efforts  in  his  behalf.  Since  leaving  Mrs.  Lockwood's  house  he 
has  been  boarding  at  various  places,  but  never  for  a  great  length 
of  time,  for  the  reason  that  he  appeared  to  have  no  money.  He 
told  one  of  the  boarders  at  Mrs.  Lockwood's  that  he  expected  to 
be  appointed  Minister  to  France,  but  did  not  desire  it  to  be 
known.  Up  to  the  day  before  yesterday,  when  he  registered  at 
the  Riggs  House,  Guiteau  has  been  stopping  for  six  weeks,  with 
no  baggage  except  a  paper  box,  at  No.  920  Fourteenth  Street. 

There  is  a  theory,  which  has  many  adherents,  that  the  at- 
tempted assassination  was  not  the  work  of  a  lunatic,  but  the 
result  of  a  plot  much  deeper  and  darker  than  has  been  suspected. 
It  is  cited,  in  support  of  this  theory,  that  Guiteau  arranged  be- 
forehand with  a  hackman,  to  be  in  readiness  to  drive  him  swiftly 
in  the  direction  of  the  Congressional  Cemetery  as  soon  as  he 
came  out  of  the  depot.  In  the  mean  time  he  had  left  a  bundle 
of  papers  in  the  hands  of  a  boy,  with  a  view,  it  is  maintained,  to 
create  a  belief  in  his  insanity,  in  the  event  of  his  capture. 

Guiteau  said,  on  his  way  to  jail,  that  the  President's  assassina- 
tion was  premeditated,  and  that  he  went  to  Long  Branch  for  the 
purpose  of  shooting  him  there,  and  was  deterred  by  the  enfee- 


64  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 

bled  and  saddened  condition  of  Mrs.  Garfield,  which  appealed  so 
strongly  to  his  sense  of  humanity  that  he  came  back  without 
carrying  out  his  intention.  Those  by  whom  Guiteau  has  been 
examined  since  the  shooting  say  that  he  shows  no  symptoms  of 
insanity,  and  it  is  understood  that  the  letter  addressed  "  To  the 
White  House"  is  the  only  document  in  the  collection  which  sup- 
ports the  theory  of  insanity.  It  is  reported  that  Guiteau  had  an 
accomplice,  whose  description  is  in  the  hands  of  the  police,  and 
further  developments  are  anxiously  looked  for. 

The  librarian  of  the  Navy  Department  says  that  Guiteau  was 
one  of  Farwell's  supporters  in  the  effort  to  break  the  unit  rule  in 
the  Chicago  Convention,  and  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  calling 
at  the  librarian's  room  and  telling  how  he  had  been  treated  by 
Secretary  Blaine. 

GEN.  ARTHUR'S  MOVEMENTS. 

The  Vice-Presidents  Receipt  of  the  News — Still  Remaining  in 
the  City. 

Gen.  Arthur  stopped  at  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  in  the  morn- 
ing soon  after  his  arrival  in  this  city  prior  to  going  to  his  home 
in  Lexington  Avenue.  For  an  hour  or  more  before  noon  he  was 
in  consultation  with  ex-Senator  Conkling  in  the  apartments  of 
the  latter.  Numerous  cards  were  sent  to  the  general  and  the 
ex-senator,  but  they  declined  to  see  the  greater  number  of  the 
visitors.  Both  said  that  they  had  been  so  much  shocked  upon 
receipt  of  the  terrible  intelligence  that  they  had  no  disposition 
to  talk  with  any  one.  Ex-Senator  Conkling  was  disinclined  to 
express  his  feelings  to  the  newspaper  representatives  who  called, 
and  said  to  one  of  them  that  he  felt  very  bad.  His  countenance 
plainly  showed  that  he  was  sorely  distressed.  Gen.  Arthur  and 
the  ex-senator  eagerly  seized  the  telegraphic  despatches  which 
were  brought  to  them.  When  Gen.  Arthur  went  to  his  resi- 
dence he  asked  his  servants  to  see  that  he  was  not  disturbed. 
In  the  evening  he  sat  in  a  front  parlor  reading  the  newspaper 
reports  from  Washington.  He  said  to  a  reporter,  "  What  can 
I  say  ?  What  is  there  to  be  said  by  me  ?  I  am  overwhelmed 
with  grief  over  the  awful  news."  He  was  asked  whether  he 
would  go  to  Washington  last  night,  and  at  first  said  that  he  did 
not  know  what  he  should  do.  A  few  minutes  later  he  said  that 
in  all  probability  he  would  not  start  for  Washington  until  offi- 
cially notified  of  the  President's  death.  He  received  the  follow- 


PEE8IDENT  GARFIELD.  $5 

ing  despatches  during  the  day  and  evening  from  Secretary  of 
State  Blaine  : 

WASHINGTON,  July  2,  1881. 

The  Hon.  Chester  A.  Arthur,  Vice-President  of  the  United  States, 

No.  123  Lexington  Avenue: 

The  President  of  the  United  States  was  shot  this  morning  by 
an  assassin  named  Charles  Guiteau.  The  weapon  was  a  large- 
sized  revolver.  The  President  had  just  reached  the  Baltimore 
and  Potomac  station  at  about  9.20,  intending,  with  a  portion  of 
his  Cabinet,  to  leave  on  the  limited  express  for  New  York  I 
rode  in  the  carriage  with  him  from  the  Executive  Mansion,  and 
was  walking  \>y  his  side  when  he  was  shot.  The  assassin  was 
immediately  arrested,  and  the  President  was  conveyed  to  a 
private  room  in  the  station  building  and  surgical  aid  at  once 
summoned.  He  has  now,  at  10.20,  been  removed  to  the 
Executive  Mansion.  The  surgeons  are  in  consultation.  They 
regard  his  wounds  as  very  serious,  but  not  necessarily  fatal.  I 
will  keep  you  advised  of  his  condition.  His  vigorous  health 
gives  strong  hopes  of  his  recovery.  He  has  not  lost  conscious- 
ness for  a  moment. 

JAMES  G.  BLAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 

WASHINGTON,  July  2,  1881. 
Hon.  Chester  A.  Arthur,  Vice-President  United  States,  No.  123 

Lexington  Avenue  : 

At  this  hour,  1  o'clock  P.M.,  the  President's  symptoms  are 
not  regarded  as  unfavorable,  but  no  definite  assurance  can  be 
given  until  after  the  probing  of  the  wound  at  3  o'clock.  There 
is  strong  ground  for  hope,  and  at  the  same  time  the  greatest 
anxiety  as  to  the  final  results.  JAMES  G.  BLAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  July  2,  1881. 
The  Hon.  Chester  A.  Arthur,  Vice-President  United  States,  No. 

123  Lexington  Avenue : 

At  this  hour,  3.30,  the  symptoms  of  the  President  are  not 
favorable.  Anxiety  deepens.  JAMES  G.  BLAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 


66  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

WASHINGTON,  July  2,  1881. 
The  Hon.  Chester  A.  Arthur,  Vice-President : 

At  this  hour,  6  o'clock,  the  condition  of  the  President  is  very 
alarming.  He  ia  losing  his  strength,  and  the  worst  may  be 
apprehended.  JAMES  G.  ELAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  July  2,  1881. 
The  Hon.  Chester  A.  Arthur,  Vice-President,  New  York  : 

Mrs.  Garfield  has  just  arrived,  at  6.45  o'clock.  The  Presi- 
dent was  able  to  recognize  and  converse  with  her,  but,  in  the 
judgment  of  his  physicians,  he  is  rapidly  sinking. 

JAMES  G.  ELAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 

In  reply  to  Secretary  Elaine,  Gen.  Arthur  sent  the  following  : 

NEW  YORK,  July  2,  ,1881. 

Hon.  James  G.  Elaine,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington,  D.  C.  : 
Your  telegram,  with  its  deplorable  narrative,  did  not  reach 
me  promptly,  owing  to  my  absence.  I  am  profoundly  shocked 
at  the  dreadful  news.  The  hopes  you  express  relieve  somewhat 
the  horror  of  the  first  announcement.  I  await  further  intelli- 
gence with  the  greatest  anxiety.  Express  to  the  President  and 
those  about  him  my  great  grief  and  sympathy,  in  which  the 
whole  American  people  will  join.  C.  A.  ARTHUR. 

NEW  YORK,  July  2,  1881. 

The  Hon.  James  G.  Elaine,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington,  D.  C.  : 
Your  6.45  telegram  is  very  distressing.     I  still  hope  for  more 
favorable  tidings,  and  ask  you  to  keep  me  advised.     Please  do 
not  fail  to  express  to  Mrs.  Garfield  my  deepest  sympathy. 

C.  A.  ARTHUR. 

About  7  o'clock  last  evening,  Gen.  Arthur  entered  a  coupe  at 
his  residence,  and  was  rapidly  driven  to  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel, 
where  he  met  ex-Senator  Conkling,  Police  Commissioner  Stephen 
E.  French,  John  F.  Smyth,  of  Albany,  and  ex-Senator  John  P. 
Jones,  of  Nevada,  and  remained  until  8.30.  Then  he  ordered 
a  coupe,  and,  with  Commissioner  French,  went  to  his  residence. 
Prior  to  leaving  the  hotel,  Gen.  Arthur  repeated  his  remark  that 
he  would  not  go  to  Washington  until  officially  notified  of  the 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  67 

death,  of  the  President.  At  9  o'clock  Gen.  Arthur  was  at  home, 
and  was  talking  over  the  event  of  the  day  with  Commissioner 
French. 

A  short  time  before  10  o'clock  it  was  rumored  in  the  Fifth 
Avenue  Hotel  that  Gen.  Arthur  had  decided  to  start  at  once  for 
Washington ;  but  the  servant  who  opened  the  door  of  his  resi- 
dence in  answer  to  the  reporter's  ring  of  the  bell,  said  that 
though  the  Vice-President  had  left  the  house  he  had  not  gone 
to  Washington.  The  general  returned  to  the  Fifth  Avenue 
Hotel,  and  was  with  ex-Senator  Conkling,  John  F.  Smyth,  Sena- 
tor Jones,  and  others.  A  telegraphic  despatch  sent  from  Wash- 
ington at  9.30  o'clock  to  Gen.  Arthur,  and  signed  by  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Navy  and  the  Postmaster-General,  was  as  follows : 

WASHINGTON,  July  2,  1881. 
Hail.  Cheater  A.  Arthur,  New  York : 

Sincere  thanks  for  your  expressions  of  sympathy.  The 
President  is  no  better,  and  we  fear  sinking. 

WILLIAM  H.  HUNT, 
THOMAS  L.  JAMES. 

After  the  receipt  of  this  despatch,  Gen.  Arthur  consulted  with 
his  friends  again  upon  the  advisability  of  his  going  to  Washing- 
ton, and  he  at  length  declared  his  attention  of  taking  the  mid- 
night train  for  Washington. 

Gen.  Arthur,  ex-Senator  Conkling,  Senator  Jones,  ard  Commis- 
sioner French  entered  a  coach  at  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  a  few 
minutes  after  1 1  o'clock  last  night,  and  took  the  last  boat  of  the 
Desbrosses  Street  Ferry,  arriving  before  the  departure  of  the 
midnight  train  for  Washington.  At  the  Jersey  City  depot 
Commissioner  French  was  the  first  to  alight.  Following  him 
was  Mr.  Conkling,  who  carried  two  large  satchels.  Behind  were 
Gen.  Arthur  and  Senator  Jones,  and  Detective  Frank  Cosgrove, 
of  the  Central  Office.  A  section  had  been  secured  in  the  Pull- 
man sleeper  Kensington,  which  was  just  forward  of  the  sleeper 
Chester.  Gen.  Arthur  reiterated  his  opinion  that  there  was 
nothing  for  him  to  say  for  publication  when  accosted  by 
reporters.  He  hurried  to  his  section  with  Senator  Jones  and 
the  detective.  Ex-Senator  Conkling  shook  the  general's  hand 
warmly,  and  saying,  "  God  bless  you,  I'll  see  you  on  Thursday," 
stepped  out  on  the  platform.  Commissioner  French  then 
bade  the  general  good-by  and  went  to  the  platform.  As  the  train 
started  Commissioner  French  stepped  off,  but  Mr.  Conkling  re- 


68  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

mained  on  the  lower  step  of  the  platform  until  the  train  had 
almost  emerged  from  the  depot.  Then  he  too  left  the  car  and 
joined  Mr.  French.  Mr.  Conkling  said  that  it  was  decidedly 
proper  for  Gen.  Arthur  to  go  to  Washington  without  further 
delay,  as  in  the  event  of  the  President's  death  he  would  be  in 
Washington,  and  if  the  President  did  not  die  it  was  equally 
proper  that  the  Vice-President  should  be  there.  Mr.  Conkling 
and  Mr.  French  returned  to  New  York  at  12.30  this  morning  by 
way  of  the  Desbrosses  Street  Ferry. 

MRS.  GARFIELD'S  SORROW. 

A  Day  of  Expected  Pleasure  turned  into  one  of  Endless  Mourn- 
ing— Her  Departure  for  Washington  —  General  Granfs 
Sentiments. 

ELBERON,  N.  J.,  July  2,  1881. 

The  wife  of  the  President  received  the  dreadful  news  this 
morning  as  bravely  as  the  bravest  woman  could.  It  reached 
her  under  no  ordinary  circumstances,  and  the  worst  effects  might 
have  been  justly  apprehended.  It  came  at  a  time  when  Mrs. 
Garfield  was  barely  convalescent  from  a  severe  illness,  and  in  an 
hour  when  she  was  looking  forward  with  pleasant  anticipations 
to  a  meeting  with  the  President.  She  was  waiting  for  the 
train  which  would  convey  her  to  Jersey  City,  the  place  of  meet- 
ing, when  the  information  came  that  her  husband  had  fallen  by 
the  bullet  of  an  assassin.  The  millions  of  hearts  that  throbbed 
for  the  sick  and  patient  wife  all  over  the  land  would  have  ached 
to  see  her  acute  suffering.  But  she  bore  it  all  with  pale,  firm 
lips,  and  in  the  two  long  hours  she  had  to  pass  before  starting 
for  Washington  her  self-control  never  once  deserted  her.  Per- 
haps it  was  fortunate  that  her  daughter,  Mollie,  was  the  only 
one  of  her  children  that  remained  with  her.  The  two  little 
boys,  Irving  and  Abram  Garfield,  had  left  Elberon  on  Friday 
noon  in  the  care  of  Mrs.  Dr.  Boynton.  The  dangerous  illness 
of  her  sister-in-law  had  called  Mrs.  Boynton  to  Ohio,  and  as  the 
two  boys  would  have  to  return  soon  for  school  it  was  decided 
that  they  should  go  with  her.  Thus  Mrs.  Garfield  was  spared 
at  least  the  additional  burden  of  their  care  in  such  a  harrowing 
time. 

PREPARING    FOR   PLEASURE. 

Last  evening  General  D.  D.  Swaim,  United  States  Army, 
reached  Elberon  from  Washington  to  accompany  thej)arty  to 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  69 

Jersey  City.  The  programme  was  that  the  President  would 
join  them  there,  at  the  Pennsylvania  depot,  and  all  were  to 
embark  upon  the  yacht  of  Mr.  Cyrus  W.  Field,  with  whom 
they  were  to  spend  Sunday  and  Monday  at  Irvington  on  the 
Hudson.  The  trunks  were  packed  last  evening  and  everything 
made  ready  for  the  trip.  The  Elberon  party  consisted  of  Mrs. 
Garfield,  Miss  Mollie  Garfield,  Mrs.  A.  F.  Rockwell  and  her 
daughter,  and  General  Swaim.  Mrs.  Garfield  had  been  improv- 
ing so  rapidly  that  her  friends  declared  with  pleasure  she 
was  her  old  self  once  more.  Each  day  of  late  she  had  been 
driving  and  walking  and  getting  all  the  benefit  which  the  breath 
of  old  ocean  could  afford  her.  This  morning  she  was  in  better 
spirits  than  usual,  and  spoke  gayly  of  the  expected  meeting  with 
the  President.  All  things  augured  well  for  their  excursion,  and 
the  day  itself  was  one  of  Elberon's  best.  The  hotel  was  early 
filled  with  people  from  the  neighboring  cottages,  who  were  one 
and  all  bent  upon  sharing  the  excitement  of  the  first  day's 
racing  at  Monmouth  Park.  The  regular  guests  of  the  hotel 
were  sauntering  leisurely  from  their  breakfast  tables;  some 
had  gone  for  a  stroll  along  the  beach ;  a  few  energetic  ones 
were  playing  tennis  upon  the  lawn,  and  every  minute  saw 
fresh  arrivals  in  handsome  equipages  at  the  Elberon's  doors. 
The  races  were  uppermost  in  the  anticipation  of  all.  Mrs.  Garfield 
and  her  companions  breakfasted  in  their  rooms,  according  to 
their  custom,  and  were  whiling  away  the  time  until  the  12.22 
train  should  arrive  to  take  them  to  their  rendezvous. 

THE    FIRST    DESPATCH. 

At  about  ten  minutes  after  ten  o'clock  a  messenger  ran  in 
breathless  haste  from  the  Elberon  station  to  the  hotel  bearing 
a  despatch  for  Mrs.  Garfield.  It  was  signed  by  A.  S.  Brown, 
the  Superintendent  of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company 
at  Washington,  and  urged  Mrs.  Garfield  not  to  put  too  much 
weight  upon  the  many  rumors  that  were  flying  in  every  direc- 
tion about  the  President's  injuries.  This  was  the  first  intima- 
tion received  that  the  President  had  been  injured ;  but  fast  upon 
the  heels  of  the  first  despatch  came  another  from  Colonel  Cor- 
bin  to  General  Swaim  that  the  President  had  been  shot  in  the 
depot  of  the  Baltimore  and  Potomac  Railway,  and  asking  him 
to  break  the  news  gently  to  Mrs.  Garfield.  While  General 
Swaim  went  to  perform  this  duty  the  alarming  news  spread 
among  the  people  in  the  hotel  and  around  the  grounds  and  filled. 


70  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

every  mind  with  consternation.  Pleasure  faded  instantly  from 
the  scene  and  mourning  took  its  place.  Deserting  their  amuse- 
ments they  crowded  around  the  little  telegraph  stall  in  the  office 
of  the  hotel,  and  a  solemn  silence  ensued  as  if  they  were  in  the 
presence  of  death  itself.  General  Swaim  came  down  stairs 
pale  and  agitated  after  his  distressing  interview  with  Mrs.  Gar- 
field.  What  she  said  was  only  known  to  the  few  who  stood 
around  her;  but  General  Swaim  replied,  when  dozens  of  persons 
asked  him  how  the  lady  bore  it,  that  she  stood  the  ordeal  with- 
out a  single  outcry. 

"  GOD  REIGN8." 

Soon  followed  a  despatch  from  the  President's  secretary, 
which  read : 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2,  1881. 
General  Swaim,  Mberon,  J\T.  J.: 

We  have  the  President  safely  and  comfortably  settled  in  his 
room  at  the  Executive  Mansion.  His  pulse  is  strong  and  nearly 
normal.  So  far  as  I  can  detect,  from  what  the  surgeons  say 
and  from  his  general  condition,  I  feel  very  hopeful.  Come  on 
as  soon  as  you  can  get  special.  Advise  me  of  movements  of 
your  train  and  when  you  can  be  expected.  As  the  President 
said  upon  a  similar  occasion  sixteen  years  ago,  "  God  reigns  and 
the  government  at  Washington  still  lives." 

A.  F.  ROCKWELL. 

This  was  immediately  conveyed  to  Mrs.  Garfield  by  General 
Swaim,  and  a  copy  of  it  was  read  with  tear-filled  eyes  by  the 
spectators.  Only  a  few  days  before  the  President,  as  well  as 
the  writer  of  that  despatch,  had  stood  where  they  stood,  at  a 
time  when  the  Chief  Magistrate  had  taken  a  few  days'  respite 
from  the  cares  of  his  great  office,  and  was  enjoying  his  wife's 
returning  health  and  the  first  quiet  he  himself  had  experienced 
since  he  accepted  the  Presidential  chair  in  March.  The  sudden 
transition  was  more  than  those  who  saw  him  then  could  bear, 
and  imprecations  upon  the  head  of  his  assailant  mingled  with 
their  tremulous  words  of  sorrow.  The  news  had  meanwhile 
spread  all  over  Long  Branch,  and  it  was  there  believed  that  the 
President  was  dead.  Several  of  the  hotels  had  their  flags  at 
half-mast,  business  stands  were  deserted,  amusements  were  for- 
gotten, and  thousands  of  people  gathered  around  the  West  End 


PEESIDENT  GARFIELD.  71 

to  await  further  tidings.  The  knowledge  that  Mrs.  Garfield  was 
at  the  Elberon  took  a  continuous  string  of  carriages  in  that 
direction.  General  Grant's  cottage  was  not  far  away,  and  some 
of  them  went  there  upon  the  supposition  that  the  General  might 
have  received  fuller  information.  They  were  disappointed 
and  returned  to  the  Elberon.  All  of  General  Grant's  despatches 
came  by  the  Elberon  line,  and  they  were  no  more  complete  than 
the  others. 

GENERAL    GRANT    CALLS. 

About  eleven  o  clock  General  Grant  drove  up  to  the  Elberon 
unaccompanied,  and  obtained  an  interview  with  the  President's 
wife.  When  he  came  down-stairs  again  he  stopped  for  a  mo- 
ment to  speak  with  a  group  of  gentlemen,  among  whom  were 
Messrs.  Robert  Lennox  Kennedy,  H.  Victor  Newcombe,  and  D. 
G.  Goodwin,  U.  S.  A.  The  General  said  that  he  was  astonished  at 
the  firmness  and  courage  displayed  by  Mrs.  Garfield.  He  was 
very  much  moved  himself,  and  said  that  he  could  not  under- 
stand how  such  a  thing  could  happen  in  America.  He  sur- 
mised that  it  was  the  work  of  either  an  insane  man  or  a  Nihilist; 
and  "  if  it  was  a  Nihilist,"  he  added  with  determination,  "  it  is 
time  that  this  country  suppressed  Nihilism." 

Despatches  came  pouring  in  now,  and  bit  by  bit  the  situation 
of  affairs  in  Washington  began  to  be  understood.  The  operator 
was  overrun  by  people  who  wanted  to  send  inquiries  to  the 
capital  at  the  very  time  that  they  were  coming  thence  as  fast 
as  he  could  possibly  receive  them.  The  proprietor  of  the 
Elberon,  Mr.  C.  T.  Jones,  had  some  of  the  despatches  posted  at 
the  Jiotel  office,  where  all  might  read  them.  One  came  from 
Dr.  Bliss,  at  Washington,  offering  Mrs.  Garfield  such  encourage- 
ment as  was  possible  under  the  circumstances.  Another  from 
Colonel  Corbin  to  General  Swaim  informed  him  that  they  were 
trying  to  arrange  for  a  special  train  to  take  the  Presidential 
party  from  Jersey  City  to  Washington.  It  was  decided,  partly 
to  save  Mrs.  Garfield  from  further  suspense  in  waiting,  and  partly 
to  be  in  readiness  for  taking  the  Washington  train  as  soon  as 
it  was  ready,  that  she  should  go  to  the  Long  Branch  station  at 
once.  Mr.  Newcombe  promptly  tendered  the  use  of  his  coupe, 
and  in  that  Mrs.  Garfield  was  taken  to  the  railway  station,  about 
an  eighth  of  a  mile  distant.  Mr.  Jones  took  the  rest  of  the  party 
to  the  station  in  carriages,  and  provided  a  man  servant  to  accom- 
pany them  all  the  way  to  the  capital.  When  Mrs.  Garfield 


72  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 

emerged  from  the  hotel  her  face  was  terribly  pale,  but  her  featr 
ures  were  composed. 


OFF    FOR   WASHINGTON. 

The  party  got  In  the  last  car  on  the  12.22  train  of  the  Cen- 
tral Railroad  of  New  Jersey  and  alighted  five  minutes  later  at  the 
Long  Branch  station.  Despatches  were  flying  up  and  down  the 
road  in  the  mean  time,  and  it  was  arranged  that  instead  of  going 
by  way  of  Jersey  City  a  special  train  should  be  made  up  at 
Long  Branch  to  go  by  way  of  Monmouth  Junction.  Mr.  Watts, 
the  train  superintendent  on  the  New  York  division  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad,  telegraphed  to  Mr.  Stearns,  superintendent  of 
the  New  Jersey  Central  at  Long  Branch,  that  an  engine  and 
special  car  at  Long  Branch  were  at  the  immediate  service  of 
Mrs.  Garfield  for  the  through  trip  to  Washington.  This  engine 
(No.  729)  and  car  had  run  as  a  special  train  from  Philadelphia 
in  the  morning  and  was  waiting  orders  at  Long  Branch.  Mr. 
Stearns  communicated  with  General  Swaim,  and  the  offer  was 
promptly  accepted.  Mr.  Neiman,  the  train  despatcher  at  Long 
Branch,  hurriedly  arranged  for  the  start,  and  at  half-past  twelve 
o'clock  all  was  ready.  Mrs.  Garfield  left  the  station,  in  which 
she  had  been  waiting,  to  take  a  seat  in  the  car,  with  Mrs.  Rock- 
well beside  her.  All  the  baggage  belonging  to  the  party  was 
stowed  at  the  rear  end  of  the  car,  and  they  started  at  full 
speed  and  with  a  clear  track.  There  was  one  stop  at  Sea- 
bright  to  change  conductors,  and  again  the  train  sped  on  for 
the  capital.  They  expected  to  pass  Philadelphia  at  twenty-two 
minutes  past  two  by  way  of  Mantua,  reach  Baltimore  at  about 
half-past  four,  where  they  would  change  locomotives,  and  then 
run  through  to  Washington. 

LATER    DESPATCHES. 

After  Mrs.  Garfield  left  Elberon  a  multitude  of  despatches 
reached  the  hotel,  some  of  which  were  forwarded  to  Mrs.  Gar- 
tield  en  route.  One  addressed  to  General  Grant  read  as  fol- 
lows: 

NEW  YORK,  July  2,  1881. 
General  U.  S.  Grant,  Elberon,  N.  J.  : 

At  noon  Blaine  reports  the  President's  condition  to  be  seri- 
ous, but  the  wounds  are  not  necessarily  fatal.  Other  despatches 
indicate  his  condition  as  precarious,  but  it  is  hoped  that  hia 
vigorous  constitution  may  pull  him  through.  J.  R.  Y. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  73 

Another  came  to  the  Elberon  and  was  telegraphed  to  the 
special  train,  which  read : 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2,  1881. 
To  Mrs.  Gar  field,  Elberon,  N.  J. : 

The  President  wishes  me  to  say  to  you  for  him  that  he  has 
been  seriously  hurt.  How  seriously  he  cannot  say.  He  is  him- 
self and  hopes  you  will  come  to  him  soon.  He  sends  his  love 
to  you. 

(2)     Rec'd.  A.  F.  ROCKWELL. 

Despatches  were  afterwards  bulletined  from  Mr.  G.  C.  Clarke 
at  Washington,  and  were  eagerly  scanned  by  the  people  who 
yet  clung  about  the  hotel.  They  were  as  follows : 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2,  1881. 

To  the  Elberon : 

The  best  information  we  can  obtain  is  that  the  President  is 
lying  in  a  critical  condition.  One  of  the  balls  is  supposed  to 
have  entered  his  bowels.  G.  C.  CLARKE. 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2,  1881. 
To  the  Elberon : 

Garfield  hopeful,  but  one  of  his  wounds  may  prove  fatal. 
Indications  are  rather  favorable.  CLARKE. 

THE    WORST    EXPECTED. 

Just  when  the  people  at  Elberon  and  Long  Branch  were 
beginning  to  be  hopeful  for  the  recovery  of  the  President  these 
feelings  were  again  depressed  by  the  receipt  of  the  following : 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2,  1881. 

To  the  Elberon : 

Report  says  that  the  President  is  sinking  rapidly.  Stimulants 
are  being  administered.  G.  C.  CLARKE. 

At  three  o'clock  or  a  little  thereafter  the  following  was  received 
amid  expressions  of  the  greatest  sorrow : 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2,  2.45  P.M. 
To  Elberon  Hotel  : 
Physicians  say  that  President  Garfield  cannot  recover. 

A.  S.  BROWN. 
4 


74  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 


THE    PRESIDENT  S    MOTHER. 

CLEVELAND,  O.,  July  2. — The  President's  aged  mother  is 
in  Solon,  forty  miles  from  Cleveland,  and  the  first  thought  was 
what  effect  the  shock  might  have  on  her  great  age  and  feeble- 
ness. She  is  a  guest  of  her  daughters,  Mrs.  Mary  G.  Larabee 
and  Mrs.  Mehetable  Trowbridge,  upon  their  farms,  one  mile  east 
of  Solon.  A  reporter  visited  Solon  to-day,  and  drove  out  to  the 
Larabee  homestead,  where  he  met  Mrs.  Larabee,  Mrs.  Trow- 
bridge, and  the  daughter  of  the  former.  "  What  have  you  heard 
from  Washington?"  was  the  anxious  inquiry  that  greeted  him, 
as  he  appeared  at  the  doorway.  Upon  being  informed  that  the 
news  at  two  o'clock  was  of  an  encouraging  nature,  the  ladies  were 
partly  relieved  of  their  anxiety,  and  entered  into  conversation 
concerning  the  sad  event.  "  How  does  Mrs.  Garfield  bear  the 
news?"  "She  has  not  heard  a  word  of  what  has  happened," 
replied  Mrs.  Larabee,  "  and  we  are  afraid  to  break  the  news  to 
her.  Mother  has  had  so  much  trouble  of  late,  that  we  dare  not 
excite  her  at  this  time.  She  was  not  informed  of  Mrs.  Arnold's 
death,  which  occurred  on  Thursday  night,  until  this  morning, 
and  it  has  prostrated  her.  The  death  of  Uncle  Thomas  produced 
a  great  shock  on  her  nerves  and  she  was  unable  to  attend  his 
funeral.  Mother  is  so  wrapped  up  in  James  that  this  will  cer- 
tainly kill  her."  "  Have  you  received  tidings  from  any  mem- 
bers of  the  President's  family  ?"  was  asked.  "  We  received  a 
telegram  a  short  time  ago  from  Harry  Garfield,  addressed  to  his 
grandmother,  but  further  than  this  we  have  heard  nothing  from 
the  family,"  was  the  reply  of  Mrs.  Trowbridge.  The  following 
is  a  copy  of  the  message  mentioned  above : 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION,  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2. 
To  Mrs.  Eliza  Garfield,  Solon,  Ohio : 

Don't  be  alarmed  by  sensational  rumors ;  doctor  thinks  it  will 
not  be  fatal.  Don't  think  of  coming  until  you  hear  further. 

HARRY  A.  GARFIELD. 

"  You  had  learned  of  the  attempted  assassination  before  the 
receipt  of  this  message?"  suggested  the  reporter  inquiringly. 
"  We  knew  nothing  of  what  had  happened  until  the  arrival  of 
the  noon  train  with  copies  of  an  extra,"  replied  Mrs.  Trowbridge. 
"  My  daughter  from  Brooklyn  Village  came  down  from  Cleve- 
land this  morning,  and  brought  us  a  copy  containing  the  terri- 
ble news.  We  could  not  at  first  believe  it.  But  as  we.  read  the 


MRS.   ELIZA    GARFIELD,    MOTHER    OF    JAMES  A.    GARFIELD. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  75 

bulletins  we  became  satisfied  they  were  only  too  true.  A  short 
time  later  we  received  Harry's  despatch,  from  which  we  drew  as 
much  comfort  as  possible.  After  that  we  had  no  news  until 
you  arrived."  It  was  decided  that  the  aged  lady  should  not  be 
told  the  awful  news,  at  least  until  morning,  when  better  news 
might  be  at  hand,  and  when  she  might  have  more  strength  to 
bear  it. 


BREAKING    THE    NEWS   TO    HER   AS    GENTLY    AS    POSSIBLE. 

CLEVELAND,  0.,  July  3. — The  news  of  the  shooting  of  the 
President  was  broken  to  his  mother  this  forenoon  at  Solon.  She 
had  been  so  much  overcome  by  the  fatal  accident  which  resulted 
in  the  death  of  Thomas  Garfield  and  Mrs.  Arnold  that  the  family 
had  kept  from  her  the  intelligence  of  the  attempted  assassina- 
tion. But  this  morning  she  felt  better,  and  spoke  of  attending 
Mrs.  Arnold's  funeral,  which  took  place  at  Bedford  to-day.  In 
announcing  her  intention  she  remarked,  "  Last  Saturday,  Thomas 
was  buried;  to-day,  Cornelia.  I  wonder  who  it  will  be  next 
Sunday." 

Mrs.  Trowbridge,  at  whose  house  she  then  was,  sent  for  Mrs. 
Larabee,  another  daughter.  When  the  latter  arrived  Mrs.  Gar- 
field  inquired  whether  she  was  going  to  Mrs.  Arnold's  funeral. 
Mrs.  Larabee  replied  that  she  guessed  she  could  not,  as  some- 
thing had  happened,  so  the  sister  thought  it  best  not  to  go. 

"  What  has  happened  ?"  inquired  Mrs.  Garfield. 

"  We  have  heard  that  James  is  hurt,"  replied  Mrs.  Larabee. 

"How?     By  the  cars?"  asked  the  mother. 

"  No,  he  was  shot  by  an  assassin,  but  he  was  not  killed," 
answered  the  daughter. 

"  The  Lord  help  me  !"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Garfield. 

Mrs.  Larabee  assured  her  mother  that  the  latest  reports  were 
favorable,  and  showed  that  the  President  was  resting  quietly 
and  in  a  fair  way  to  recover. 

"  When  did  you  hear  this  ?"  queried  Mrs.  Garfield. 

"  Yesterday  noon,  but  we  thought  it  best  not  to  tell  you.  The 
news  was  not  as  favorable  as  to-day,"  was  the  reply. 

"  You  were  very  thoughtful.  I  am  glad  you  did  not  tell  me," 
said  Mrs.  Garfield,  adding  that  she  thought  something  had  hap- 
pened, as  she  had  noticed  that  the  manner  of  her  daughter  had 
been  peculiar  towards  her  yesterday.  She  bore  up  under  the 
intelligence  with  much  fortitude.  She  was  shown  despatches 


76  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

received  from  Major  Swaim,  Secretary  Judd,  and  Harry  Gar- 
field,  the  one  from  the  last-named  reading  as  follows : 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  3. 
Mrs.  Eliza  Garfidd,  Solon,  Ohio : 

Thank  God,  he  lives  this  morning,  and  the  doctors  are  very 
hopeful.  He  has  been  perfectly  himself  all  the  time. 

HARRY  A.  GARFIELD. 

She  read  the  despatches  calmly,  and  said,  "  How  could  any- 
body be  so  cold-hearted  as  to  want  to  kill  my  baby  ?" 

In  general  conversation  she  expressed  wonder  as  to  what  was 
coming  next,  and  inquired  what  would  probably  be  done  with 
the  assassin.  Upon  some  one  saying  "  Hang  him,"  she  replied, 
"  He  deserves  it" 

She  does  not  contemplate  going  to  Washington  unless  sent 
for,  thinking  she  will  be  telegraphed  for  if  necessary  to  go  on. 
It  being  remarked  to  her  that  the  news  continued  to  grow  favor- 
able, she  said,  "  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,  but  I  am  afraid  we  are 
hoping  against  fate.  It  seems  terrible." 

This  afternoon  she  dictated  the  following  despatch  to  her 
grandson : 

Harry  A.  Garfield,  Executive  Mansion,  Washington : 

The  news  was  broken  to  me  this  morning  and  shocked  me 
very  much.  Since  receiving  your  telegram  I  feel  much  more 
hopeful.  Tell  James  that  I  hear  he  is  cheerful,  and  that  I  am 
glad  of  it.  Tell  him  to  keep  in  good  spirits,  and  accept  the  love 
and  sympathy  of  a  mother,  sisters,  and  friends. 

ELIZA  GARFIELD. 

VICE-PRESIDENT    ARTHUR  AND    SENATOR    CONKLING    APPALLED  BY 
THE    TRAGEDY. 

No  description  could  do  justice  to  the  scenes  about  the  Fifth 
Avenue  and  other  uptown  hotels  yesterday.  The  news  of  the 
assassination  was  received  in  the  forenoon,  and  as  it  went  from 
mouth  to  mouth,  people  wondered  and  speculated  and  hoped 
that  the  President  would  recover.  As  later  despatches  were 
received  and  the  crowd  grew  greater  the  interest  increased  and 
the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  corridors  became  almost  one  mass  of 
men.  They  talked  with  bowed  heads  of  the  tragic  event,  and 
everybody  had  a  sympathetic  word  for  the  stricken  President 
and  the  members  of  his  family. 


PRESIDENT  OARFIELD.  77 

Senator  ConHing  received  the  news  as  he  left  the  Albany 
boat.  He  was  very  much  affected,  and  for  a  time  said  nothing. 
Finally  he  raised  his  head  and  said :  "  My  God,  can  this  be 
true  !"  He  went  to  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  and  walked  across 
his  room  once  or  twice  and  then  sank  into  a  chair.  He  was  very 
greatly  affected,  and  remained  seated  for  some  time.  At  about 
noon  he  was  joined  by  Vice-President  Arthur.  The  General  had 
read  a  despatch  announcing  the  assassination  while  he  was  leav- 
ing the  Albany  boat,  and  hastily  repaired  to  Senator  Conkling. 
The  two  gentlemen  remained  together  for  some  time.  They 
were  both  very  much  grieved,  and  whatever  political  differences 
they  may  have  had  with  the  President  it  was  plain  to  be  seen 
that  they  very  greatly  deplored  the  assassination.  The  Senator 
and  the  Vice-President  remained  secluded  for  some  time  and 
refused  to  see  any  friends.  Shortly  after  noon  General  Arthur 
hurriedly  left  the  hotel  and  went  to  his  residence.  He  returned 
later  and  remained  with  Senator  Conkling  during  the  evening. 

Senator  Conkling  did  not  desire  to  make  any  statement  for 
publication.  His  sorrow  at  the  event  was  plainly  to  be  seen, 
and  nothing  he  could  say  would  make  it  the  more  evident. 

General  Arthur  said  he  could  say  nothing  about  the  matter. 
"  What  can  I  say,"  he  remarked,  "  except  that  I  am  like  every- 
body else,  overwhelmed  with  grief  ?  I  was  thunderstruck  at  the 
news  when  I  received  it,  and  have  not  as  yet  recovered.  I  will 
not  go  to  Washington  until  I  receive  official  notification  of  the 
death  of  the  President." 

At  about  fourteen  minutes  past  twelve  P.M.  General  Arthur 
received  the  following  despatch : 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2,  1881. 

To  the  Hon.  Chester  A.  Arthur,  Vice-President  of  the  United 
States,  No.  120  Lexington  Avenue,  New  York  City,N.  Y.: 
The  President  of  the  United  States  was  shot  this  morning  by 
an  assassin  named  Charles  Guiteau.  The  weapon  was  a  large- 
sized  revolver.  The  President  had  just  reached  the  Baltimore 
and  Potomac  Station  at  about  twenty  minutes  past  nine,  intend- 
ing, with  a  portion  of  his  Cabinet,  to  leave  on  the  limited  express 
for  New  York.  I  rode  in  the  carriage  with  him  from  the 
Executive  Mansion.  Was  walking  by  his  side  when  he  was  shot. 
The  assassin  was  immediately  arrested  and  the  President  was 
conveyed  to  a  private  room  in  the  station  building  and  surgical 
aid  at  once  summoned.  He  has  now,  at  twenty  past  ten,  been 


78  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

removed  to  the  Executive  Mansion.  The  surgeons,  on  consulta- 
tion, regard  his  wounds  as  very  serious,  though  not  necessarily 
fatal.  I  will  keep  you  advised  of  his  condition.  His  vigorous 
health  gives  strong  hopes  of  his  recovery.  He  has  not  lost  con- 
sciousness for  a  moment.  JAMES  G.  BLAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 

At  two  o'clock  General  Arthur  received  the  following : 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2, 1881. 

To  Chester  A.  Arthur,  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  No. 
120  Lexington  Avenue,  New  York  City : 
At  this  hour,  one   o'clock  P.M.,  the  President's  symptoms  are 
not  regarded  as  unfavorable,  but  no  definite  assurance  can  be 
given  until  after  the  probing  of  the  wound  at  3  o'clock.     There 
is  strong  ground  for  hope,  and  at  the  same  time  the  gravest 
anxiety  as  to  the  final  result. 

JAMES  G.  BLAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 

At  four  P.M.  the  Vice-President  received  the  following  de- 
spatch : 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2,  1881. 

To  Chester  A.  Arthur,  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  No. 
120  Lexington  Avenue,  or  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel,  New  York  City, 
N.  Y.  : 

At  this  hour — half -past  three- — the  symptoms  of  the  Presi- 
dent are  not  favorable.  Anxiety  deepens. 

JAMES  G.  BLAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 

This  telegram  was  followed  by  the  following : 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2,  1881. 

To  Chester  A.  Arthur,  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  New 
York  City,  N.  Y.  : 

At  this  hour — six  o'clock — the  condition  of  the  President  is 
very  alarming.  He  is  losing  his  strength  and  the  worst  may  be 
apprehended.  JAMES  G.  BLAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  79 

Later  the  following  was  received  : 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2,  1881. 

To  Hon.   Chester  A.  Arthur,  Vice-President.  New    York  City. 
N.Y.: 

Mrs.  Garfield  has  just  arrived — a  quarter  before  seven  o'clock. 
The  President  was  able  to  recognize  and  converse  with  her,  but 
in  the  judgment  of  his  physicians  he  is  rapidly  sinking. 
JAMES  G.  ELAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 

ARTHUR    REPLIES. 

General  Arthur,  in  reply  to  these  despatches,  sent  the  follow- 
ing: 

NEW  YORK,  July  2,  1881. 
To  the  Hon.  James  G.  Maine,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington, 

D.  C.: 

Your  telegram,  with  its  deplorable  narrative,  did  not  reach  me 
promptly,  owing  to  my  absence.  I  am  profoundly  shocked  at 
the  dreadful  news.  The  hopes  you  express  relieve  somewhat  the 
horror  of  the  first  announcement.  I  await  further  intelligence 
with  the  greatest  anxiety.  Express  to  the  President  and  those 
about  him  my  great  grief  and  sympathy,  in  which  the  whole 
American  people  will  join.  C.  A.  ARTHUR. 

NEW  YORK,  July  2,  1881. 
To  the  Hon.  James  G.  Blaine,  Secretary  of  State.  Washington, 

D.  C. : 

Your  six  forty-five  telegram  is  very  distressing.  I  still  hope 
for  more  favorable  tidings,  and  ask  you  to  keep  me  advised. 
Please  do  not  fail  to  express  to  Mrs.  Garfield  my  deepest  sym- 
pathy. C.  A.  ARTHUR. 

THE  NIGHT  IN  THE  FIFTH  AVENUE. 

Senator  Conkling  remained  in  his  room  nearly  all  the  evening. 
Early  in  the  night  he  came  down  in  the  large  corridor  of  the 
Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  and  conversed  with  ex-Governor  Goodwin, 
of  Arizona.  When  he  returned  to  his  room  he  was  joined  by 
ex-Insurance  Superintendent  Smyth  and  Police  Commissioner 
French.  General  Arthur  formed  one  of  the  party.  The  gentle- 
men remained  together  until  late,  and  a  number  of  despatches 


80  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

were  received  from  Washington  giving  information  at»out  the 
President's  condition.  Senator  Conkling  spent  most  of  the 
time  in  walking  up  and  down  his  room,  and  several  times  gave 
vent  to  his  feelings  in  remarks  as  to  the  horror  he  felt  for  the  assas- 
sination. General  Arthur  was  laboring  under  great  emotion,  and 
several  times  remarked  that  he  thought  the  President  would 
recover.  Neither  Mr.  Smyth  nor  Mr.  French  seemed  to  share 
the  Vice-President's  opinion,  but  they  said  nothing.  Senator 
Conkling  still  continued  to  pace  up  and  down  his  room,  and 
when  General  Arthur  suggested  the  possibility  of  the  President's 
recovery  he  shook  his  head  sorrowfully  and  resumed  his  walk. 
The  group  was  certainly  as  sad  a  one  as  could  be  expected. 
Every  one  was  full  of  sorrow  at  the  terrible  calamity  that  has 
befallen  the  President  and  his  family,  and  all  had  a  sympathetic 
word  for  the  Chief  Magistrate. 

Towards  eight  o'clock  the  corridors  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel 
became  very  crowded.  Ingress  and  egress  were  extremely  dif- 
ficult, and  policemen  were  stationed  at  the  staircases  and  entrances 
to  the  hotel.  There  was  most  intense  excitement  and  everybody 
conversed  in  whispers.  Sorrow  was  depicted  on  every  face,  and 
the  feeling  was  universal  that  the  death  of  the  President  would 
be  an  almost  irreparable  loss. 

A  TEEEIBLE   DEATH-WATCH. 

Scenes  in  the  President's  Chamber  Saturday  Night — His  Anx- 
iety about  Mrs.  Garfield  and  His  Joy  on  Her  Arrival — 
Touching  Incidents. 

WASHINGTON,  July  3. — Never  since  the  14th  of  April,  1865, 
when  the  citizens  of  the  entire  nation  were  looking  for  the 
momentary  death  of  the  martyred  Lincoln,  has  the  White  House 
been  the  scene  of  such  a  terrible  death-watch  as  it  was  last  night. 
Whether  the  President  lives  or  dies,  the  night  of  the  2d  of  July 
will  forever  mark  an  era  in  the  history  of  the  Executive  Man- 
sion, and  the  incidents  of  that  night,  when  the  life  of  President 
Garfield  hung  trembling  in  the  balance,  will  be  read  with  in- 
terest so  long  as  the  English  language  is  read  or  spoken.  The 
full  particulars  of  that  night  of  anxious  watching  and  fearful 
forebodings  will  probably  never  be  written.  The  actors  in  the 
scene  were  too  busy  and  too  much  excited  by  their  fears  to  re- 
member half  of  the  little  incidents  which  go  to  make  up  the 
tragic  story ;  but  some  dim  picture  of  the  terrible  life  drama 
which  was  enacted  in  the  President's  chamber,  while  the  whole 


PRESIDENT  GABFIELD.  81 

world  was  awaiting  with  breathless  anxiety  its  culmination,  may 
be  drawn  at  this  time,  while  the  actors  of  it  still  hold  its  promi- 
nent features  fresh  in  their  memory.  The  Times  correspondent 
has  seen  and  conversed  with  most  of  the  ladies  and  gentlemen 
who  passed  the  night  in  the  White  House,  hoping  and  fearing 
alternately  for  the  safety  of  the  life  of  the  chief  Executive  of  a 
great  nation,  and  the  stories  which  they  relate,  while  they  serve 
to  make  a  graphic  picture  of  a  scene  which  all  Americans  will 
look  upon  with  intense  interest,  serve  still  more  forcibly  to  de- 
pict the  character  of  President  Garfield,  and  to  place  him  before 
the  world  as  a  husband  and  father  as  he  never  could  have  been 
known  but  for  the  attempt  made  upon  his  life  yesterday  by  the 
assassin  Guiteaa 

From  the  time  of  the  shooting  in  the  Baltimore  and  Potomac 
depot  yesterday  morning  until  very  nearly  midnight,  but  little, 
if  any,  hopes  of  saving  the  President's  life  were  entertained  by 
the  physicians  who  attended  him.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  but  for 
the  remarkably  abstemious  course  of  life  which  he  had  pursued 
from  boyhood  up  he  never  would  have  rallied  from  the  shock. 
His  one  thought,  when  it  became  possible  for  him  to  think 
calmly  at  all  after  being  removed  to  his  chamber  in  the  Execu- 
tive Mansion,  was  for  his  wife  and  children.  He  feared  the 
effect  of  the  terrible  news  upon  Mrs.  Garfield,  and  he  was  anx- 
ious to  have  her  and  their  daughter  Mollie  with  him,  that  he 
might  reassure  them,  if  possible,  and  look  upon  them  for  the 
last  time  if  it  was  decreed  that  he  should  die.  He  was  very 
weak  at  this  time,  and  to  all  appearances  sinking  fast.  He  was 
told  by  Mrs.  James,  wife  of  the  Postmaster-General,  and  Mrs. 
Hunt,  who  were  doing  all  that  sympathetic  women  could  do  to 
make  him  comfortable,  that  Mrs.  Garfield  would  be  with  him  by 
six  o'clock.  Every  moment  seemed  an  age  to  the  fast  sinking 
father  and  nusband.  He  turned  restlessly  in  his  bed  and  asked 
the  time  of  day  continually.  It  was  evident  that  his  anxiety  .to 
meet  Mrs.  Garfield  was  aggravating  the  effect  of  the  wounds 
Avhich  he  had  received,  but  nothing  could  be  done.  Six  o'clock 
came,  and  with  it,  instead  of  Mrs.  Garfield,  the  news  that  the 
engine  of  her  train  had  broken  down  seventeen  miles  outside  of 
Washington.  This  news  was  carefully  kept  from  the  suffering 
President,  and  a  fresh  engine  started  off  to  take  the  place  of  the 
disabled  one.  It  brought  Mrs.  Garfield,  Mollie  Garfield,  Gen. 
Swaim,  and  Mrs.  Kockwell  to  the  city,  at  the  rate  of  sixty  miles 
4* 


82  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

an  hour,  and  at  6.50  the  party  drove  up  to  the  private  entrance 
in  the  rear  of  the  White  House. 

Here  the  almost  heart-broken  wife  was  met  by  her  son  James 
A.  Garfield,  Jr.,  Mrs.  James,  and  Attorney-General  MacVeagh. 
She  placed  her  hands  in  those  of  Mrs.  James,  and  directing  a 
piercing  inquiry  into  her  eyes,  exclaimed  interrogatively,  "Well?" 
"  Oh,  everything  is  going  on  beautifully,"  said  Mrs.  James,  in 
reply,  "  only  he  must  not  be  excited.  You  must  be  very  calm 
when  you  meet  him."  Mrs.  Garfield  had  nerved  herself  for  the 
ordeal  and  she  answered  simply,  but  with  great  firmness,  "  I 
can  do  it."  The  party  then  went  sadly  up  the  stairs,  young 
James  A.  Garfield  with  his  arm  about  his  mother's  waist.  Ar- 
rived in  the  library,  everybody  but  Mrs.  Garfield  paused,  and  the 
doctors  withdrew  with  bowed  heads  from  the  President's  cham- 
ber. Mrs.  Garfield  passed  quickly  in,  and  the  door  was  closed. 
Of  that  solemn  meeting  between  husband  and  wife  no  record 
will  ever  be  given.  The  two  were  alone  together,  without  wit- 
nesses. At  the  end  of  about  fifteen  minutes  the  door  opened, 
and  Mrs.  Garfield  came  slowly  out.  There  were  no  tears  in  her 
eyes,  and  she  walked  with  a  firm  step  and  took  her  seat  in  the 
library.  She  was  very  brave  and  bore  up  nobly  under  the  great 
blow  which  had  fallen  upon  her.  As  she  left  the  room  Mrs. 
James  passed  in.  The  President  was  smiling  and  he  beckoned 
with  his  finger  to  the  lady  to  approach.  She  leaned  over  the 
President  and  he  said,  "  Have  you  met  Crete  ?"  Mrs.  Gar- 
field's  Christian  name  is  Lucretia,  and  Crete  is  the  pet  name  by 
which  the  President  always  speaks  of  her.  "  Yes,  I  have  met 
her,"  said  Mrs.  James.  "  And  how  does  she  act ;  how  did  she 
bear  it  ?"  was  the  next  eager  question.  "  She  bore  it  like  the 
true  wife 'of  a  true  soldier,"  answered  Mrs.  James.  "  Ah,  the 
dear  little  woman,"  exclaimed  the  President.  "  I  would  rather 
die  than  that  this  should  cause  a  relapse  to  her." 

Soon  after  Miss  Mollie  entered  the  room.  She,  too,  was  very 
brave,  and  forced  herself  to  assume  a  calmness  which  she  could 
not  feel.  Advancing  steadily  towards  her  father  as  he  lay  on 
what  was  supposed  to  be  his  death-bed,  she  said,  "  O  papa  ! 
I'm  so  glad  to  get  back  to  you,  but  I'm  so  sorry  to  see  you  in 
this  way."  Then  she  kissed  him,  and  the  President,  putting  his 
arm  around  her  neck,  exclaimed,  "  Mollie,  you  are  a  brave,  good 
little  girl."  "  Well,  I'm  not  going  to  talk  with  you  now,"  said 
the  stout-hearted  little  girl,  as  she  tenderly  removed  his  arm 
from  her  neck ;  "  wait  till  you  get  well,"  and  with  these  parting 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  83 

words  she  kissed  him  again  and  turned  and  walked  from  the 
room,  followed  by  a  beaming  smile  from  the  President. 

From  the  moment  of  Mrs.  Garfi  eld's  visit  to  him,  the  Presi- 
dent seemed  to  gain  in  strength  and  spirits,  and  if  he  recovers 
the  doctors  say  that  it  will  be  due  greatly  to  the  presence  of  his 
devoted  wife.  After  Mollie  had  left  him  he  turned  over,  and 
with  one  hand  clasped  firmly  in  one  of  Mrs.  James's,  and  his 
head  resting  upon  her  other  hand,  he  fell  into  a  gentle  sleep.  In 
half  an  hour,  however,  he  awoke  and  complained  of  a  pain  in 
his  feet.  It  did  not  last  long,  and  he  dozed  off  again,  still  hold- 
ing the  hand  of  Mrs.  James.  This  time  he  slept  a  little  over 
half  an  hour,  and  when  he  awoke  he  said  to  Mrs.  James,  "  Do 
you  know  where  Mrs.  Garfield  is  now?"  "Oh,  yes,"  Mrs. 
James  answered,  "she  is  close  by,  watching  and  praying  for  her 
husband."  He  looked  up  to  the  lady  with  an  anxious  face,  and 
said,  "  I  want  her  to  go  to  bed.  Will  you  tell  her  that  I  say  if 
she  will  undress  and  go  to  bed  I  will  turn  right  over,  and  I  feel 
sure  that  when  I  know  she  is  in  bed  I  can  go  to  sleep  and  sleep 
all  night.  Tell  her,"  he  exclaimed  with  sudden  energy,  "  that  I 
will  sleep  all  night  if  she  will  only  do  what  I  ask."  Mrs.  James 
conveyed  the  message  to  Mrs.  Garfield,  who  said  to  her  at  once, 
"  Go  back  and  tell  him  that  I  am  undressing."  She  returned  with 
the  answer,  and  the  President  turned  over  on  his  right  side  and 
dropped  into  a  quiet  sleep  almost  instantly. 

THE  PRESIDENT'S  CONDITION  ON  SUNDAY  MORNING. 

Joyful  News  for  the  Patient  Watchers  in  and  about  the  White 
House  Followed  by  Discouraging  Tidings — His  Tender  Nurses 
— A  Good  Omen — No  Visitors  Allowed  to  see  the  Patient — 
Incidents  of  the  Day. 

WASHINGTON,  July  3. — The  feeling  in  this  city  has  changed 
within  the  past  twenty-four  hours  from  that  of  the  utmost  alarm 
to  one  of  hope  and  joy.  On  all  sides  the  news  has  gone  forth  that 
the  life  of  President  Garfield  is  not  despaired  of  by  his  physicians, 
and  that  they  now  believe,  unless  some  totally  unexpected  crisis 
should  be  precipitated,  that  the  President  will  live  to  continue 
the  work  which  was  begun  with  his  administration.  In  this 
great  crisis  of  his  life,  the  President's  early  habits  have  come  to 
his  rescue.  But  for  his  robust  frame  and  magnificent  physique, 
the  result  of  his  abstinence  and  youthful  training  in  the  struggle 
for  existence,  there  is  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  the  shock  of 


84  TEE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

the  assault  would  have  t  emanated  fatally  within  twenty-four  hours. 
The  President,  however,  was  prepared  by  long  years  of  careful 
obedience  to  the  laws  of  nature  to  resist  the  effects  of  the  shock 
successfully,  and  when  they  had  once  passed  away  he  had 
strength  and  energy  enough  left  to  fight  for  his  life,  and  he  is 
doing  it  now  with  the  most  encouraging  prospects  of  eventual 
success  in  the  conflict.  His  recovery,  if  he  should  recover,  will 
require  a  long  time,  during  which  he  will  be  forced  to  remain  in 
his  bed  and  to  be  kept  perfectly  quiet.  All  danger  from  inter- 
nal hemorrhage  is  now  passed,  and  the  only  thing  to  be  feared 
is  inflammation  of  the  wound.  The  healthy  condition  of  the 
patient  and  the  strictly  abstemious  course  of  life  which  he  has 
pursued,  together  with  the  favorable  weather,  render  this  dan- 
ger much  less  than  might  be  anticipated.  The  wound  has  been 
carefully  bathed  in  cold  water  at  frequent  intervals  during  the 
entire  day,  and  up  to  this  evening  no  symptoms  of  inflammation 
have  been  observed.  The  mind  of  the  President  is  perfectly 
clear  and  his  nerves  have  recovered  their  normal  condition.  He 
is  cheerful  at  all  times,  and  manifests  a  disposition  to  talk  freely 
to  his  medical  and  other  attendants.  This  disposition  is  dis- 
couraged as  much  as  possible  by  Dr.  Bliss,  who  insists  that  his 
patient  must  be  kept  perfectly  quiet  and  composed  in  his  mind, 
and  to  secure  this  condition,  all  visitors,  except  Mrs.  Garfield 
and  the  ladies  of  the  Cabinet,  have  been  excluded  from  the  sick- 
room to-day,  and  these  have  been  warned  not  to  talk  to  the 
President  except  when  it  is  absolutely  necessary. 

The  care  and  attention  bestowed  upon  the  wounded  man  have 
been  all  that  could  possibly  be  given,  and  no  person  had  ever  more 
tender  nurses  than  President  Garfield  has  had  since  the  assassin 
marked  him  in  the  Baltimore  and  Potomac  depot  yesterday 
morning.  The  Cabinet  ladies  are  nearly  worn  out  by  their  long 
and  anxious  watching,  but  they  look  better  to-day  than  they  did 
yesterday,  for  the  light  of  hope  has  taken  the  place  of  despair 
in  their  weary  eyes.  Mrs.  James,  Mrs.  Hunt,  Mrs.  Blaine,  Mrs. 
Windom,  Mrs.  MacVeagh,  and  Mrs.  Lincoln  have  had  very  lit- 
tle sleep  during  the  past  forty-eight  hours ;  but  the  nature  of  the 
work  in  which  they  are  engaged  has  nerved  them  to  their  task, 
and  they  show  few  signs  of  the  weariness  which  they  must  feel. 

THE    EARLY    HOTJK8    AT    THE    WHITE    HOUSE. 

The  sun  rose  upon  the  capital  of  the  nation  this  morning  to 
find  a  throng  of  vigilant  and  anxious  watchers  at  the  gates  of 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  85 

the  Executive  Mansion,  many  of  whom  had  not  left  the  spot 
during  the  entire  night.  The  crowd  was  not  so  great  and  the 
excitement  was  not  so  intense  as  it  had  been  yesterday,  the 
reassuring  bulletins  issued  late  last  night  having  sent  many  to 
their  homes  full  of  hope  for  the  recovery  of  the  President.  But 
a  large  enough  throng  remained  to  make  the  early  morning  scene 
one  of  grave  and  intense  interest.  Sentries  paced  in  front  of 
the  gate  and  kept  the  carriage-way  clear,  and  within  the  grounds, 
on  the  lawn  between  the  Executive  Mansion  and  the  Treasury 
building,  the  two  military  companies,  which  Secretary  Lincoln 
had  stationed  at  the  White  House,  were  bivouacked.  Within 
the  mansion,  the  only  person  who  had  slept  for  any  consider- 
able time  during  the  night  was  the  wounded  sufferer  himself, 
and  his  sleep  had  been  fitful  and  uneasy.  Postmaster-General 
James,  who  had  left  the  White  House  at  three  o'clock  to  secure  a 
little  needful  rest,  returned  at  five  o'clock  and  passed  up  to  the 
library.  He  remained  nearly  two  hours,  and  upon  his  return  the 
crowd  pressed  eagerly  around  him  for  news  of  the  President. 
He  brought  good  news.  The  favorable  symptoms  which  had 
begun  at  about  eleven  o'clock  last  night  had  increased,  and  the 
doctors  were  really  hopeful  of  saving  the  life  of  the  chief  Execu- 
tive of  the  nation,  upon  which  so  much  depends.  The  announce- 
ment was  received  with  heartfelt  joy  by  those  who  heard  it,  and 
it  was  soon  spread  all  over  the  city.  Washington  people  are 
not,  as  a  rule,  early  risers,  but  to-day  the  streets  were  alive  with 
men  whom  anxiety  would  not  allow  to  sleep  after  the  rising  of 
the  sun.  The  good  news  met  them  as  a  boon  from  heaven,  and 
there  were  probably  more  devout  thanksgivings  silently  rendered 
on  this  beautiful  Sabbath  than  have  ever  gone  up  from  this 
community  before.  The  excitement  expended  itself  yesterday. 
Men  went  to  bed  late  last  night  or  early  this  morning  hoping 
for  the  best,  but  prepared  for  the  worst,  and  to-day  when  they 
received  the  glad  tidings  of  hope,  they  accepted  them  calmly 
and  almost  without  comment.  There  were  no  large  gatherings 
such  as  were  to  be  seen  yesterday.  The  newspapers  were  read 
eagerly,  and  when  the  New  York  journals  arrived  at  noon  the 
supply  was  exhausted  before  a  fiftieth  part  of  the  demand  had 
been  met. 


THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


THE  ATTENDANTS  ON  THE  8UFFEKER. 

The  experience  of  the  crowds  at  the  Executive  Mansion  yes- 
terday, and  the  inconvenience  which  they  occasioned,  with  the 
possible  danger  to  the  President,  was  not  lost  upon  the  doctors, 
and  to-day  they  insisted  that  no  person  except  the  Cabinet  Min- 
isters and  members  of  the  diplomatic  corps  should  be  allowed 
to  pass  beyond  the  vestibule  of  the  White  House.  Only  a  few 
favored  ones  were  furnished  with  cards  admitting  them  to  the 
grounds,  and  the  result  was  that  the  noise  and  confusion  and 
excitement  of  yesterday  were  avoided.  The  Executive  Mansion 
was  comparatively  deserted,  only  those  whose  business  demanded 
their  presence  being  allowed  to  enter.  Mrs.  Garfield,  who,  at 
the  request  of  her  husband,  had  retired  at  about  midnight,  made 
her  appearance  in  the  library,  which  communicates  with  the 
sick-chamber,  at  5.30  o'clock.  The  President  was  awake,  and 
Mrs.  Hunt  and  Mrs.  Blaine,  with  Dr.  Bliss,  were  in  attendance 
upon  him.  Mrs.  Garfield,  who  has  borne  up  with  remarkable 
courage  ever  since  she  was  brought  face  to  face  with  the  terrible 
realities  of  the  position,  passed  into  the  President's  room  and 
greeted  the  sufferer  with  a  smile  of  encouragement,  receiving  in 
return  a  happy  smile  of  welcpme.  It  was  evident  that  the  Pres- 
ident was  in  a  much  more  hopeful  condition  than  when  she  had 
left  him  last  night,  and  Dr.  Bliss  assured  her  that  the  prospects 
for  his  recovery  were  now  good.  The  President  suffered  terri- 
bly at  times  from  pain  in  his  feet  and  limbs,  but  he  was  stronger 
than  he  had  been,  and  his  pulse  was  slowly  but  most  surely  fall- 
ing towards  its  normal  condition.  Mrs.  Garfield  seated  herself 
by  the  bed  of  her  husband,  and  took  his  hand  in  her  own.  She 
remained  with  him  for  the  greater  part  of  the  entire  day,  only 
leaving  him  at  intervals  for  a  few  moments  at  a  time. 

At  about  8  o'clock  this  morning  the  President  fell  into  a 
gentle  slumber  which  lasted,  with  occasional  breaks,  until  9.30. 
Half  an  hour  later  the  first  official  bulletin  of  the  day,  signed  by 
Dr.  Bliss,  was  posted  on  the  gates  of  the  grounds  of  the  Execu- 
tive Mansion  and  in  all  the  prominent  hotels  of  the  city.  It 
announced  that  the  President  had  rested  quietly  and  awakened 
much  refreshed,  and  that  his  improved  condition  gave  additional 
hopes  of  his  gradual  recovery.  His  pulse  at  this  time  registered 
114,  his  respiration  was  recorded  at  18,  and  his  temperature  was 
nearly  normal.  The  news  was  received  throughout  the  city  with 


PRESIDENT  6ARFIELD.  87 

universal  expressions  of  joy  and  thanksgiving,  and  telegraphed 
all  over  the  country  to  reassure  the  waiting  and  anxious  citizens. 

A    GOOD    OMEN. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  members  of  the  Cabinet  who  had  been 
snatching  little  seasons  of  sleep  after  the  exhausting  watch  of 
last  night,  began  to  appear  in  the  Cabinet  room  and  the  library 
with  their  ladies.  The  gentlemen  looked  far  more  weary  and 
careworn  than  the  ladies,  who  had  done  the  actual  watching  at 
the  bedside  of  the  President.  They  had  waited  during  the 
night  in  the  outer  rooms  with  nothing  but  their  sad  thoughts 
and  fears  to  bear  them  company,  while  their  wives  had  been 
occupied  in  attending  to  the  duties  of  the  sick-room,  and  this 
had  to  a  certain  extent  relieved  them  from  the  wear  and  tear  of 
their  anxious  forebodings.  Secretary  Elaine  wore  the  most 
woebegone  look  of  all  the  Cabinet.  He  flitted  in  and  out  of 
the  library  like  a  spirit  who  could  find  no  rest.  Postmaster- 
General  James  and  Mrs.  James  started  from  the  Arlington  for 
the  Executive  Mansion  at  9.30.  As  they  were  stepping  to  the 
sidewalk  fronting  the  grounds,  a  passing  horse  cast  a  shoe,  and 
it  fell  directly  in  front  of  Mrs.  James.  "  That  is  a  good  omen," 
she  said,  as  she  stooped  and  picked  it  up,  "  and  it  will  please 
the  President."  It  is  well  known  that  Gen.  Garfield  is  inclined 
to  attach  some  slight  importance  to  omens,  and  Mrs.  James 
faithfully  carried  the  horseshoe  to  the  Executive  Mansion  and 
deposited  it  in  the  chamber  of  the  sick  man,  who  smiled  pleas- 
antly as  she  told  the  story  of  the  incident  Secretary  Hunt 
looked  sad  and  gloomy  as  he  strode  silently  around  the  library. 
Secretary  Windom  was  not  inclined  to  talk,  and  Attorney- 
General  MacVeagh  wore  a  face  of  mingled  sternness  and  sorrow 
as  he  glided  in  and  out  of  the  Cabinet  chamber.  Sir  Edward 
Thornton,  the  British  Minister,  was  early  at  the  White  House, 
with  a  message  from  Sir  H.  Ponsonby  stating  that  the  Queen 
desired  to  have  the  latest  news  of  the  President's  condition  sent 
by  cable.  Commissioner  Raum,  the  Hon.  Marshall  Jewell, 
Prince  de  Camporeale,  the  Italian  Charge  d' Affaires,  and  Senor 
Don  Francisco  Barca,  Envoy  Extraordinary  and  Minister  Pleni- 
potentiary of  Spain,  with  cable  messages  of  sympathy  and  con- 
dolence, also  called  in  the  early  morning  hours  and  at  different 
times  throughout  the  day.  Nobody,  however,  was  allowed  to 
penetrate  beyond  the  library,  and  the  greater  number  of  the 


88  THE  ASSASSINATION  Of 

callers  were  not  permitted  to  approach  nearer  to  the  President 
than  the  room  of  his  private  secretary,  Stanley  Brown.  The 
physicians  were  imperative  in  their  orders  that  none  but  the 
ladies  in  attendance  upon  him  should  be  allowed  to  enter  the 
presence  of  the  wounded  Chief  Magistrate,  and  their  orders  were 
faithfully  obeyed  to  the  letter.  Senator  John  P.  Jones,  of  Ne- 
vada, called  later  in  the  day  and  sent  in  his  card,  with  a  message 
expressing  the  deepest  regret  for  the  assault,  to  the  President. 

MORE    JOYFUL    NEWS. 

At  11  o'clock  the  second  official  bulletin  appeared,  with  the 
signature  of  Dr.  Bliss  attached.  The  good  news  of  the  preceding 
hour  was  confirmed  and  increased.  "  The  President's  condition," 
it  read,  "  is  greatly  improved.  He  secures  sufficient  refreshing 
sleep,  and  during  his  waking  hours  is  cheerful  and  inclined  to 
discuss  pleasant  topics.  His  pulse  stands  at  106,  with  more 
fulness  and  a  soft  expression.  His  temperature  and  respiration 
are  now  normal."  This  announcement  was  hailed  with  joy  by 
the  waiting  crowd  in  front  of  the  Executive  Mansion  and  through- 
out the  city.  Soon  after  it  was  made  Dr.  Bliss  was  standing  by 
the  bedside  of  the  President.  Gen.  Garfield  extended  his  hand 
and  pressed  that  of  the  doctor,  and  a  smile  lighted  up  his  pale 
face.  The  grasp  of  his  hand  was  almost  as  firm  and  steady  as 
it  had  been  when  in  the  enjoyment  of  peifcct  health.  "  Doctor," 
he  said,  "  you  have  changed  my  programme  a  little.  I  had  pre- 
pared to  meet  death  philosophically,  but  you  have  changed  all 
that."  The  confidence  in  his  own  power  of  resistance,  which  is 
better  than  all  the  medicine  to  a  sinking  man,  had  taken  posses- 
sion of  the  President.  "  I  believe  he  has  made  up  his  mind 
that  he  won't  die,  and  that  he  will  fight  it  off,"  said  one  of  the 
attendants  in  describing  this  scene.  An  hour  later  the  confi- 
dence of  both  Dr.  Bliss  and  the  President  in  his  ultimate  recov- 
ery was  demonstratedtaby  an  order  given  to  Private  Secretary 
Brown  to  inform  Drs"Wmith,  Townshend,  of  the  Health  Office ; 
C.  M.  Ford,  P.  S.  Wales,  Surgeon-General  of  the  Navy;  C.  B. 
Purvis,  C.  C.  Patterson,  Basil  Norris,  N.  S.  Lincoln,  and  J.  B. 
Hamilton,  Surgeon-General  of  the  Marine  Hospital  Service,  who 
have  been  attending  on  the  President  with  Dr.  Bliss,  that  the 
symptoms  of  recovery  were  so  favorable  that,  for  the  present  at 
least,  their  further  attendance  would  not  be  necessary,  and 
thanking  them  for  their  valuable  services.  The  case  was  thus 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  89 

left  entirely  in  the  hands  of  Dr.  Bliss,  who  was  the  first  physician 
called  in  after  the  shooting. 

The  President,  however,  was  by  no  means  easy  on  his  bed  of 
sickness.  The  twitching  pains  in  the  feet  and  limbs  attacked 
him  at  intervals,  and  he  suffered  terribly  while  they  lasted.  At 
1  o'clock  he  called  for  the  New  York  papers,  and  Mrs.  Garfield 
read  the  editorial  columns  to  him.  He  then  fell  into  a  gentle 
sleep,  from  which  he  awoke,  however,  in  about  half  an  hour, 
with  the  pains  attacking  him  again.  At  2  o'clock  a  fresh  bul- 
letin was  issued  for  the  information  of  the  public.  It  said: 
"  The  President  has  slept  a  good  deal  since  the  last  bulletin, 
though  occasionally  suffering  from  pain  in  both  feet  and  ankles. 
His  pulse  is  now  104,  respiration  18,  and  temperature  nearly 
normal.  While  the  President  is  by  no  means  out  of  danger,  yet 
his  symptoms  continue  favorable."  It  was  evident  from  this 
bulletin  that  Dr.  Bliss  still  feared  a  relapse,  and  the  hopeful 
feelings  which  had  been  created  by  the  announcements  since  10 
o'clock  were  slightly  dampened.  At  about  this  time  a  despatch 
was  received  from  Mrs.  Garfield,  the  mother  of  the  President, 
who  is  at  Mentor,  asking  if  she  might  come  to  see  her  son.  A 
reassuring  answer  was  sent  to  her,  and  she  was  advised  not  to 
come,  for  the  present  at  least. 

SOME  UNFAVORABLE  SYMPTOMS. 

The  President  rested  well  until  about  3  o'clock,  when  Mrs. 
James  left  the  White  House  for  the  Arlington,  Mrs.  Hunt  decid- 
ing to  remain  all  night.  She  took  a  little  rest,  however,  in  the 
library,  and  turns  at  watching  the  President  were  taken  by  Mrs. 
Blaine,  Mrs.  Windom,  Mrs.  Lincoln,  and  Mrs.  MacVeagh.  At  a 
little  after  3  o'clock  the  President  awoke,  and  seeing  Dr.  Bliss 
standing  by  his  bed  asked  him  what  the  chance  for  his  recovery 
was.  "  The  symptoms  are  very  critical,"  was  the  answer.  "  Do 
you  think  I  shall  get  well  ?"  asked  the  President,  pressing  for  a 
direct  answer.  "  There  is  a  possibility  of  your  recovery,"  said 
the  doctor,  declining  to  commit  himself  to  the  direct  answer 
which  the  President  evidently  sought.  "  Then,  doctor,"  said 
the  sick  man,  grasping  his  arm  with  a  firm  hand,  "  we'll  accept 
the  possibility,  and  I'll  help  you  all  I  can."  After  this  little 
episode  the  President  again  dropped  into  a  sleep,  but  it  was  not 
a  continuous  one,  being  composed  of  short  naps  from  which  he 
was  constantly  awakening.  About  5  o'clock  this  morning,  when 


90  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

the  sun  was  well  up  in  the  heavens,  he  awoke  from  one  of  these 
short  naps,  and,  in  answer  to  a  question  by  Dr.  Bliss,  said,  "  I 
feel  much  better  every  way,  except  that  I  still  have  that  terrible 
pain  in  my  feet."  Throughout  the  night,  whenever  he  was  at- 
tacked by  these  pains,  his  sufferings  were  excruciating,  but  he 
bore  them  all  bravely  and  made  no  complaints.  His  one  thought 
seemed  to  be  that  his  wife  and  children  must  not  be  made  to 
suffer  more  than  was  absolutely  necessary  from  the  crime  which 
had  attacked  his  life. 

While  these  mournful  scenes  which  are  to  form  a  part  of  the 
nation's  history  were  being  enacted  in  the  President's  chamber 
at  the  south-west  corner  of  the  Executive  Mansion,  the  rooms  of 
his  private  secretary  in  the  eastern  wing  were  crowded  by 
scores  of  men  who  were  waiting  anxiously  for  bulletins  from  the 
sick-room.  A  great  number  of  cards  of  admission  had  been 
issued,  and  many  not  having  cards  managed  to  pass  through  the 
gate  to  the  grounds  and  gain  an  entrance  to  the  White  House. 
The  throng  in  the  secretary's  rooms  annoyed  the  doctors,  but 
everybody  wanted  to  stay  all  night  in  order  to  get  the  latest 
news  of  the  President's  condition.  The  people  who  had  gained 
admittance  showed  no  signs  of  retiring,  and  finally,  at  11 
o'clock,  Secretary  Brown  gave  the  order  to  put  out  the  lights, 
and  by  this  action  succeeded  in  clearing  the  rooms. 

At  10  o'clock  to-night  the  condition  of  the  President  was 
reported  by  the  physicians  to  be  less  favorable.  The  pulse 
had  risen  to  120,  temperature  to  100°,  and  respiration  to  20. 
He  was  also  more  restless  at  that  hour,  and  again  complained 
of  pain  in  his  feet.  The  physicians,  however,  say  that  this 
changed  condition  of  their  patient  does  not  necessarily  imply 
that  the  chances  of  recovery  are  decreased.  The  increased 
pulse  and  temperature  are  partially  accounted  for  by  the  fact 
that  a  few  minutes  before  the  10  o'clock  bulletin  was  issued 
the  President's  clothing  was  changed,  which  would  have  the 
effect  to  produce  some  restlessness,  and  thus  increase  the  pulse 
and  temperature.  Besides,  the  time  has  about  arrived  when 
inflammation  may  be  naturally  expected.  Thus  far  there  has 
been  less  than  the  usual  amount  of  inflammation  considering  the 
character  of  the  wound ;  but  the  physicians  say  inflammation  is 
an  inevitable  consequence,  and  that  during  its  continuance  the 
patient  will  exhibit  less  favorable  conditions.  "  The  President," 
said  one  of  the  physicians,  "  is  approaching  the  critical  period. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  01 

We  look  for  him  to  get  worse  before  he  can  get  better.  The 
result  will  depend  upon  the  violence  of  the  inflammation."  Dr. 
Bliss  gives  out  that  he  still  has  hopes  of  recovery,  but  it  is 
understood  that  all  that  occurs  in  the  treatment  of  the  wounded 
man  is  not  made  public.  It  is  known  that  the  President  at 
times  experiences  what  he  has  termed  "  tiger's  claws"  in  his  feet 
and  legs,  and  that  to  allay  these  acute  pains  hypodermic  injec- 
tions are  resorted  to. 

After  7  o'clock  to-night  the  order  for  admission  to  the  White 
House  was  changed,  and  no  one  was  permitted  to  ascend  to  the 
second  story  except  members  of  the  Cabinet  and  their  families 
and  foreign  Ministers.  Representatives  of  the  press  and  others 
who  held  cards  of  admission  to  the  house  were  stopped  in  the 
vestibule,  where  the  bulletins  from  the  President's  chamber  were 
brought  and  read.  This  new  order  was  made  necessary  in  order 
that  the  sufferer  might  not  be  disturbed  by  the  slightest  noise. 
An  order  was  also  issued  to-day  by  the  physicians  that  no  one 
be  permitted  to  enter  the  President's  room  except  members  of 
his  family  and  those  necessary  for  proper  attendance,  and  the 
President  was  forbidden  to  hold  any  long  conversation  with  any 
one. 

ONLY    SLIGHT    GROUND    FOR    HOPE. 

The  Latest    Symptoms  Regarded  as    Very    Unfavorable — No 
Bulletin   till  Morning. 

WASHINGTON,  July  4,  2  A.M. — At  12.40  o'clock  Surgeon- 
General  Barnes  left  the  White  House.  In  reply  to  a  question 
as  to  the  President's  condition,  he  said  there  had  been  no  change 
for  some  hours,  and  that  he  had  had  some  fever  during  the 
evening.  At  12.45  Secretary  and  Mrs.  Windom,  Secretary  and 
Mrs.  Hunt,  Attorney-General  and  Mrs.  MacVeagh,  and  Secretary 
Elaine  and  Mr.  Walker  Blaine  left  the  White  House.  Mrs. 
James  and  Mrs.  Blaine  remained  with  Mrs.  Garfield.  A  Tribune 
correspondent  met  Secretaries  Lincoln  and  Kirkwood  and  Post- 
master-General James  at  1.30  A.M.  as  they  were  leaving  the 
White  House  to  snatch  a  few  hours  sleep.  Mr.  Lincoln  said, 
"  I  have  just  talked  with  Dr.  Woodward.  He  says  the  Presi- 
dent's condition  is  critical,  but  there  are  still  slight  grounds  for 
hope.  The  distention  of  the  bowels  is  only  slight,  but  it  is,  of 
course,  a  very  unfavorable  symptom.  Our  going  home  has  no 


92  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

significance.  The  house  is  crowded,  and  if  we  remained  we 
must  have  sat  up.  It  is  not  expected  by  the  physicians  that  any 
material  change  will  take  place  before  7  o'clock.  Certainly 
there  is  no  probability  of  a  fatal  result  during  the  next  six 
hours." 

The  following  postscript  was  attached  to  the  bulletin  issued  at 
12.30  A.M.  :  "  In  view  of  the  fact  that  it  is  deemed  best  to  keep 
the  President  perfectly  quiet  during  the  night  no  further  exam- 
inations will  be  made  and  no  other  bulletins  issued  till  7.30  this 
morning." 

• 

1  A.M. — The  President  at  this  hour  is  sleeping  quietly,  and 
the  hopes  of  the  physicians  in  attendance  are  still  good.  All 
the  members  of  the  Cabinet  left  the  Executive  Mansion  before 
midnight,  and  at  that  hour  the  doors  of  the  White  House  were 
closed,  and  nobody  has  been  allowed  to  enter  since.  Dr.  Gun- 
nell,  a  surgeon  of  the  Navy,  is  watching  the  President.  Drs. 
Bliss  and  Keyburn  are  sleeping  in  the  surgeon's  room,  which 
adjoins  the  chamber  of  the  President.  Drs.  Barnes  and  Wood- 
ward have  gone  home  to  get  needed  rest.  If  any  unfavorable 
symptoms  appear,  Drs.  Bliss  and  Reyburn  will  be  called.  Mrs. 
Blaine  sits  by  the  bedside  of  the  President,  and  will  remain 
there  all  night.  Mrs.  Garfield  is  sleeping  in  the  room  at  the 
north-western  corner  of  the  Executive  Mansion,  and  nobody  is 
allowed  on  the  portico  for  fear  of  disturbing  her  rest.  The 
President  has  been  out  of  his  mind  only  once  since  the  shoot- 
ing. This  afternoon,  when  nobody  but  his  nurses  and  the  doc- 
tors were  in  the  room,  he  suddenly  exclaimed :  "  Why  don't 
you  take  all  those  people  out  of  the  way !"  He  recovered  him- 
self almost  instantly,  however,  and  since  then  he  has  been 
himself.  Dr.  Bliss  says  that  there  is  not  the  least  danger  of 
his  dying  to-night,  and  upon  this  assurance  the  crowd  which 
had  lingered  around  the  White  House  all  day  dispersed.  The 
condition  of  General  Garfield  is,  however,  very  critical,  and  in 
all  probability  the  next  24  hours  will  decide  his  fate. 

July  4,  10  A.M.— Dr.  D.  Hayes  Agnew,  of  Philadelphia, 
arrived  here  at  4  o'clock,  and  Dr.  Frank  H.  Hamilton,  of  New 
York,  at  6  o'clock  this  morning,  in  answer  to  the  telegrams  of 
yesterday  summoning  them  to  a  consultation.  At  7  o'clock 
they  held  a  consultation,  after  examining  the  wounds  of  the 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  93 

President,  with  Drs.  D.  W.  Bliss,  J.  J.  Woodward,  Robert  Rey- 
burn,  and  Surgeon-General  Barnes,  who  are  now  attending  Gen- 
eral Garfield.  The  consultation  lasted  for  an  hour  and  a  quarter, 
and  at  9.40  its  result  was  conveyed  to  the  anxious  public  in  a 
bulletin  stating  that  the  management  and  course  of  treatment 
of  the  attending  physicians  were  approved  in  every  particular 
by  the  consulting  physicians.  Drs.  Agnew  and  Hamilton, 
while  they  admit  that  the  wound  is  of  a  dangerous  nature,  con- 
tinue to  give  encouraging  hopes  of  the  ultimate  recovery  of  the 
President.  At  this  hour,  10  A.M.,  the  patient  is  resting  easily 
and  everybody  in  the  White  House  is  hopeful.  The  city  is 
perfectly  quiet  and  the  day  appears  more  like  Sunday  than  the 
Fourth  of  July.  Flags  are  hoisted  over  the  Executive  Mansion 
and  public  buildings,  but  beyond  this  the  national  significance 
of  the  day  is  ignored  in  the  great  anxiety  for  the  life  of  the 
President. 

11  A.M. — The  surgeons  have  succeeded  in  alleviating  the  pain 
in  the  President's  feet  and  ankles,  and  he  now  rests  somewhat 
easier.  The  tympanitis  which  began  to  develop  last  night  has 
been  kept  under  control  up  to  this  time,  and  the  physicians  feel 
very  confident  that  they  can  prevent  its  increase.  Dr.  Agnew 
has  left  for  Philadelphia,  and  Dr.  Hamilton  will  return  to  New 
York  this  afternoon.  Mrs.  Garfield  is  the  only  person,  except 
the  physicians  and  nurses,  who  is  allowed  to  see  the  President. 
A  great  crowd  is  in  front  of  the  gates  to  the  White  House,  and 
the  streets  are  full  of  people,  but  everything  is  quiet.  The 
day  is  very  warm. 

12.30  P.M. — There  has  been  but  little  change  in  the  Presi- 
dent's condition  since  the  last  bulletin.  He  complains  much 
less  of  the  pain  in  his  feet.  Slight  vomiting  occasionally. 
Pulse,  110;  temperature,  100°;  respiration,  24. 

D.  W.  BLISS,  J.  J.  WOODWARD, 

J.  K.  BARNES,  ROBERT  REYBURN. 

2  P.M. — Dr.  Hayes  Agnew,  the  eminent  Philadelphia  surgeon, 
who,  with  Dr.  Hamilton,  of  New  York,  was  summoned  to 
Washington  last  night  to  consult  with  the  President's  attending 
physicians,  said  this  morning  before  returning  to  Philadelphia 
that  there  were  many  marvellously  favorable  symptoms  about 


94  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

the  President's  case.  He  was  quite  certain  that  the  abdomen 
has  not  been  injured,  and  that  the  kidneys  are  not  disturbed. 
He  believes  that  the  liver  has  been  lacerated  by  the  ball,  but  to 
what  extent  this  organ  has  been  injured  cannot,  of  course,  be 
determined  until  an  examination  of  the  course  taken  by  the 
ball  has  been  made.  The  tearing  pains  in  the  limbs  are  caused, 
Dr.  Agnew  said,  by  the  laceration  of  the  liver  and  the  severing 
of  certain  nerves  thrown  out  from  the  spinal  column.  Dr. 
Hamilton  also  takes  a  hopeful  view  of  the  President's  symp- 
toms. At  noon  Dr.  Bliss  said  that  the  inflammation,  when  the 
last  examination  was  made,  was  natural  to  the  wound,  and  was 
really  less,  all  things  considered,  than  was  expected.  There  is, 
he  said,  a  liability  to  abscess  and  pus,  but  he  has  no  apprehen- 
sion from  such  formations,  and  says  they  can  be  readily 
treated.  Dr.  Bliss  is  quite  hopeful  for  the  President's  recov- 
ery, but  said  no  positive  opinion  could  yet  be  formed  as  to 
what  the  result  might  be.  Much  would  depend,  he  thought, 
upon  the  development  of  the  current  24  hours. 

2.25  P.M. — The  President  awaked  from  sleep  a  few  moments 
ago  and  said  to  Dr.  Bliss,  who  stood  by  his  bed-side :  "  Doctor, 
I  feel  better  than  I  have  at  any  time  since  I  was  wounded." 

2.45  P.M. — The  attending  physicians  continue  to  express  a 
hopeful  opinion  of  the  President's  case.  Peritonitis  has  not 
supervened  as  yet,  and  there  are  no  more  indications  of  it  than 
there  were  this  morning.  The  condition  of  the  patient,  there- 
fore, although  critical,  is  no  worse  than  was  to  be  expected. 

4.30  P.M. — Dr.  Woodward,  in  conversation  with  Secretary 
Hunt  about  fifteen  minutes  ago,  said  that  there  was  no  percepti- 
ble change  in  the  President,  and  that  the  symptoms  continued 
very  favorable. 

5.15  P.M. — The  President  partook  of  a  quantity  of  chicken- 
broth  a  short  time  ago,  and  has  retained  it.  He  is  resting  about 
the  same  as  when  his  condition  was  last  reported. 

6.30  P.M. — Colonel  Rockwell  has  just  sent  a  despatch  saying: 
"  The  President  is  now  resting.  His  symptoms  at  this  hour  are 
not  considered  so  favorable  as  at  the  date  of  the  last  bulletin." 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  95 

7.35  P.M. — The  President  this  evening  is  not  so  comfortable. 
He  does  not  suffer  so  much  from  pain  in  the  feet.  The  tym- 
panitis is  again  more  noticeable.  Pulse,  126;  temperature, 
101.9°  ;  respiration,  24.  Another  bulletin  will  be  issued  at  10 
P.M.,  after  which,  in  order  not  to  disturb  the  President  unneces- 
sarily, no  further  bulletins  will  be  issued  until  to-morrow  morn- 
ing. 

D.  W.  BLISS,  J.  J.  WOODWARD, 

J.  K.  BARNES,  ROBERT  REYBURN. 

10  P.M. — There  has  been  slight  amelioration  of  symptoms 
during  the  past  two  hours.  No  vomiting  during  that  period. 
Pulse,  124;  temperature,  101°;  respiration,  24.  In  order  not 
to  disturb  the  President  unnecessarily  no  further  bulletins  will 
be  issued  until  to-morrow  morning. 

D.  W.  BLISS,  J.  J.  WOODWARD, 

J.  K.  BARNES,  ROBERT  REYBURN. 

11.30  P.M. — General  Hazen,  who  has  just  come  from  the  White 
House,  reports  that  everything  was  very  encouraging  there ; 
that  the  indications  all  were  that  the  President  would  pass  a 
quiet  night,  and  that  there  was  very  much  more  cheerfulness  in 
the  Executive  Mansion.  General  Hazen  firmly  believes  the  Pres- 
ident will  pull  through. 

MIDNIGHT. — The  condition  of  the  President  has  further  im- 
proved since  the  date  of  the  last  official  bulletin.  His  tempera- 
ture and  pulse  have  again  fallen  slightly,  and  he  is  at  this  hour 
sleeping  quietly. 


THE    GLOOM    AT    THE    CAPITAL. 

A  very  quiet  Fourth — Deep  Anxiety  manifested  on  every  Hand — 
Admiration  for  the  President's  heroic  Conduct — A  suppressed 
Feeling  of  Anger  against  Guiteau. 

WASHINGTON,  July  4. — The  Chief  of  Police  of  this  city  issued 
an  order  on  Sunday  evening,  as  the  Times  has  already  been 
informed,  to  prevent  the  setting  off  of  fire-crackers  and  other 
explosives.  It  is  only  just,  as  it  is  creditable,  to  the  people  here 
to  say  that  the  order  was  altogether  unnecessary,  because  of  a 


96  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

peculiar  sentiment  everywhere  observable.  The  city  to-day  has 
been  unnaturally  quiet.  The  pall  of  silence  followed  the  start- 
ling act  of  the  would-be  assassin,  and  men  have  unconsciously 
fallen  into  the  habit  of  suppressing  sounds  which  would  other- 
wise Have  been  given  free  vent.  No  steam  or  other  whistles 
have  been  heard  in  the  city.  Bells  have  ceased  to  toll ;  men 
walk  about  as  though  shod  in  soft  slippers,  and  talk  with  bated 
breath.  A  correspondent  of  the  Times  has  walked  and  ridden 
about  this  city  for  miles  to-day  and  has  not  heard  the  sound  of 
a  fire-cracker  or  a  torpedo.  To  fire  a  pistol  would  be  almost  as 
much  as  a  man's  life  was  worth.  For  very  silence  this  day  will 
be  a  memorable  one  in  the  history  of  the  capital  of  the  nation 
among  the  anniversaries  of  Independence  Day.  This  homage 
of  silence  has  been  born  of  a  sentiment,  and  there  is  no  hypoc- 
risy in  its  observance.  An  incident  or  two  may  perhaps  serve 
to  illustrate  this.  The  Times  correspondent  was  at  Police 
Headquarters  to-day,  making  inquiries  as  to  Guiteau's  condition. 
A  policeman  strode  along  and  eagerly  inquired  about  the  latest 
bulletin.  It  happened  to  be  unfavorable  in  some  particulars. 
He  heaved  a  deep  sigh  and  a  shadow  fell  over  his  rough  and 
weather-beaten  countenance.  He  fairly  trembled,  as  men  do 
who  hang  about  the  sick-room  of  a  loved  one  and  quiver  as  they 
ask  the  doctor,  fresh  from  the  bed-side,  of  the  chances  of  recov- 
ery. Something  about  the  correspondent's  manner  may  perhaps 
have  prompted  an  explanation  of  the  evidences  of  emotion  dis- 
played by  the  officer,  who  said,  in  tones  as  though  it  had  been 
wrung  from  him,  "  Why,  I  pray  daily  for  the  President's  recov- 
ery. His  name  is  in  my  devotions ;"  and  tears  stood  in  the 
eyes  of  the  manly  fellow  as  he  said  so. 

A  colored  man  stood  waiting  at  the  main  entrance,  just  out- 
side the  grounds  attached  to  the  Executive  Mansion.  I  could 
not  help  noticing  him  this  morning  as  I  passed  in  through  the 
iron  gates  and  by  the  sentries  who  guarded  the  opening.  He 
was  emphatically  what  they  call  here  "  a  poor  nigger."  He 
was  hatless,  shoeless,  shirtless.  The  few  worn  garments  which 
invested  his  spare  frame  wanted  only  an  apology  for  going  to 
pieces.  His  frizzed  hair  and  thin  gray  beard  were  dishevelled, 
but  they  seemed  to  gain  a  glory  from  the  tints  of  the  bright 
warm  sunshine,  whose  heat  was  almost  overpowering.  Like  an 
ancient  servitor  stood  the  old  man  close  to  the  sentries  and 
peered  through  the  iron  gates,  whose  portals  he  could  not  pass. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  97 

When  any  one  came  out  of  the  grounds  he  would  approach  and 
eagerly  listen  for  tidings.  He  kept  his  vigil  well.  When  I 
told  him  that  the  doctors  had  great  hopes  of  saving  the  Presi- 
dent, he  said,  simply  but  with  fervor,  "  Thank  God  for  that." 
And  so  it  is  everywhere  about  the  city.  Men  are  tearful,  pray- 
erful, and  quiet.  High  and  low  share  in  the  feelings  of  sympa- 
thy and  devotion.  The  Cabinet  officers  and  their  wives,  men 
of  mark  who  have  won  renown  in  battle,  debate,  or  in  the  marts 
of  trade,  all  have  the  sense  of  personal  bereavement.  It  stirs 
one  to  see  old  army  veterans,  some  of  them  battle-scarred,  to 
whom  wounds  were  mere  child's  play  in  war-time,  actually  cry 
outright  at  the  present  sad  calamity. 

HEROISM    OF    THE    PRESIDENT    AND    HIS    WIFE. 

Devotional  feelings  have  been  called  out  to  a  surprising  extent 
by  the  event.  Attention  has  been  already  called  to  this.  The 
prayer-meetings  in  the  churches,  including  the  Jewish  syna- 
gogues, are  evidences  of  it.  But  besides  such  public  tokens, 
there  are  prayers  at  many  family  altars,  and  the  President's  is 
joined  among  the  names  of  loved  ones  in  the  invocation  at  the 
hearth.  There  is  also  a  manifestation  of  feeling  of  a  different 
kind,  which  is  noteworthy.  Men  speak  constantly  of  the  Presi- 
dent's manliness,  his  gentleness,  and  courtesy.  They  are  recall- 
ing and  repeating  incidents  showing  his  kindness  of  heart  and 
singleness  of  purpose.  His  chivalrous  devotion  to  his  wife  and 
mother  are  remembered.  The  heroism  he  has  shown  under  the 
present  circumstances  is  descanted  on,  and  coupled  with  it  is  the 
fact  of  the  utter  abnegation  of  self  he  has  displayed.  When  first 
wounded  his  thought  was  of  his  loved  wife  and  little  ones,  and 
how  to  spare  them  pain.  His  mother's  anxiety  was  also  upper- 
most in  his  mind,  and  by  his  direction  care  has  been  taken  to 
send  the  old  lady  messages  of  cheer  and  hope.  When  those 
good,  kind-hearted  women,  like  Mrs.  James,  Mrs.  Hunt,  and 
others,  sat  up  during  the  long  watches  of  Saturday  night,  when 
all  was  gloom  and  not  one  bright  ray  of  hope  appeared,  and 
when  he  was  told  he  had  only  a  single  chance  of  life,  he  repeated 
that  he  was  not  afraid  to  die.  During  this  time  there  was  on 
his  part  the  most  tender  consideration  for  others.  He  moved 
his  arm  while  in  a  paroxysm  of  pain,  and  just  touched  a  little 
rudely  one  of  his  kind-hearted  watchers.  Instantly  he  lost  all 
5 


98  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

feeling  for  himself,  and  his  lips  parted  with  a  heartfelt  apology 
for  having  been  guilty  of  brusqueness  towards  the  lady,  who  had 
not  even  given  the  circumstance  a  thought,  and  would  not  have 
done  so  had  it  not  been  for  the  innate  manliness  of  the  one  who 
lay  on  his  bed  of  pain.  His  demeanor  towards  his  noble-hearted 
wife  has  been  chivalrous  in  its  best  sense.  He  has  ever  sought 
her  ease  and  welfare,  and  to  keep  her  from  anxiety  and  sus- 
pense. When  she  first  entered  his  room  he  met  her  with  a 
smiling  face,  and  he  has  had  a  smile  and  a  word  of  cheer  for  her 
ever  since,  even  though  his  sufferings  have  been  at  times  very 

freat.  With  true  wifely  devotion,  too,  has  Mrs.  Garfield  borne 
erself,  and  her  cheerful,  hopeful  demeanor  has  done  much  to 
free  from  care  her  husband's  mind.  lie  feared  for  her.  She 
had  just  risen  from  a  bed  of  sickness,  and  he  was  afraid  that 
she  would  have  a  relapse.  She,  poor  woman,  knowing  his  fear, 
steeled  herself  by  a  mighty  effort.  To  no  one  has  she  made  a 
complaint;  to  no  one  has  her  husband  said  a  word  of  aught 
except  kindness.  They  have  been  a  model  husband  and  wife 
under  circumstances  most  trying  to  their  natures.  Each  has 
brought  solace  to  the  other,  and  the  wife  has  ministered  at  the 
bedside  of  her  liege,  with  an  intelligence  none  the  less  powerful 
and  efficient  than  the  love  she  has  shown.  All  these  things 
leak  out.  It  would  be  surprising,  indeed,  if  they  did  not.  The 
few  persons  who  have  been  admitted  to  the  chamber  of  pain — 
the  doctors,  the  watchers,  and  the  nearest  of  kin — bear  uncon- 
scious testimony  to  the  conduct  of  the  first  gentleman  and  first 
lady  of  the  land.  Words  are  let  drop,  kind  expressions  are 
repeated,  and  bit  by  bit  comes  out  the  heart  history  of  the 
loving  pair.  Such  stories  spread.  All  are  only  too  willing  to 
help  embalm  in  the  memory  of  friends  the  ministry  of  love  and 
gentleness,  of  kindness,  and  of  devotion  which  the  national 
Executive  Mansion  discloses.  People  have  taken  the  stories  to 
heart,  and  they  are  fashioning  inwardly  portraits  of  the  Presi- 
dent which  would  do  no  injustice  to  the  kindest  and  best  of  men 
the  earth  ever  saw.  There  is  a  hero  worship  here  that  is  carried 
out  to  a  surprising  extent;  but  the  people  know  and  feel  there  is 
a  good  basis  for  much  of  what  they  believe,  and  the  glamour  of 
devotion  adds  bright  and  attractive  colors  to  the  picture  and 
gives  it  a  setting  of  love. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  99 


THE    DASTARDLY    ASSASSIN. 

It  is  because  of  these  things  that  men  here  speak  as  they  do 
and  act  as  has  been  shown.  Their  thoughts  are  all  engrossed 
with  the  occupant  of  the  White  House,  and  they  can  scarcely 
spare  a  thought  for  the  wretched  miscreant  who  lies  confined  in 
the  District  jail  and  jabbers  unto  his  jailors  the  delight  he  feels. 
Interviews  have  been  published  with  Guiteau,  but  they  are  all 
untrue.  He  has  been  permitted  to  see  no  one,  and  he  is  strongly 
guarded  lest  an  organized  attempt  should  be  made  to  rescue  the 
prisoner  and  bring  him  before  Judge  Lynch.  At  present  the 
precaution  seems  useless.  Of  course  it  would  not  be  safe  for 
the  fellow  to  travel  the  streets  of  this  city.  He  has  too  many 
personal  enemies,  men  whom  he  has  defrauded  by  petty  swin- 
dles, and  who  would  like  nothing  better  than  the  chance  of 
getting  even  with  him.  If  a  stray  bullet  should  by  chance  hap- 
pen to  hit  and  kill  the  fellow  there  would  be  little  sympathy, 
and  few  would  care  whether  the  murdered  man  had  been  in  a 
condition  in  which  he  was  not  responsible  for  his  acts.  Fine- 
drawn distinctions  about  mental  responsibility  might  come  in 
the  subsequent  proceeding  and  be  raised,  but  they  would  inure 
to  the  benefit  of  the  assailant.  But  the  first  thoughts  of  lynch- 
ing Guiteau  are  apparently  stilled.  It  would  not  do  to  say  that 
they  are  eradicated.  There  is  now  a  condition  of  suspense. 
People  have  now  neither  the  time  nor  the  inclination  to  do 
more  than  watch  the  pulse  of  the  President  and  listen  to  the 
utterances  of  his  physicians.  Will  he  recover,  is  their  upper- 
most thought,  and  next  in  their  minds  is  a  recollection  of  his 
kindly  qualities.  When  Mark  Antony  made  his  oration  over 
( 'jiesar's  corpse,  he  first  told  the  Roman  mob  of  the  gentleness, 
kindness,  and  patriotism  of  the  murdered  man.  The  mob  did 
the  work  of  revenge  afterwards.  Some  such  thing  might  hap- 
pen here.  With  suspense  ended  by  the  President's  death,  the 
people,  whose  minds  have  been  filled  with  admiration  for  his 
services  and  his  splendid  bearing,  might  take  it  into  their  heads 
to  lynch  the  murderer.  No  eagerness,  except  by  newspaper 
men,  is  shown  to  see  the  prisoner.  It  is,  perhaps,  as  well  for 
him  that  the  people  have  not  shown  an  overmastering  curiosity 
to  see  him.  The  thread  of  their  conversation  might  be  of  hemp. 


100  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


HISTORY  OF  THE  ASSASSIN. 


CHARLES  JULIUS  GUITBAU  was  born  in  Freeport,  HI.,  September 
8,  1841.  His  height  is  about  five  feet  five  inches.  He  has  a 
sandy  complexion  and  is  slight,  weighing  not  more  than  125 
pounds.  He  wears  a  moustache  and  slight  chin  whiskers, 
slightly  tinged  with  gray.  His  sunken  cheeks  and  widely  sep- 
arated eyes  give  him  a  sullen,  morose  appearance.  His  father 
was  L.  W.  Guiteau,  who  for  many  years  before  his  death,  which 
took  place  one  year  ago,  was  cashier  of  the  Second  National 
Bank  of  Freeport.  Charles  received  an  ordinary  education  in 
the  schools  of  his  native  town.  He  was  then  sent  to  Ann  Ar- 
bor, Mich.,  where  his  father  lived  in  1835,  and  where  the  son 
was  to  prepare  to  enter  the  University  of  Michigan.  The  ec- 
centric young  student  ruthlessly  discarded  his  father's  plans  for 
making  him  a  useful  man,  and  abandoned  his  studies.  He  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  joining  the  Oneida  Community  and  did  so.  He 
remained  with  these  peculiar  people  for  four  or  five  years,  when 
he  became  dissatisfied  at  the  lack,  rather  than  at  the  excess  of, 
licence  in  social  affairs  under  the  rules  of  the  Community.  He 
was  unable  to  go  to  the  extremes  his  depraved  nature  desired 
to,  and  he  accordingly  severed  his  connection  with  the  society. 
He  became  its  bitter  opponent,  and  threatened  to  write  a  book 
exposing  the  affairs  of  the  community.  He  was  checkmated  in 
this  by  the  head  of  the  Oneida  Society,  who  in  turn  exposed 
Guiteau's  connection  with  the  society  in  the  society  paper. 
This  took  place  about  1869.  Guiteau  then  went  to  Chicago  and 
began  studying  law  in  his  brother's  office. 

Soon  after  his  arrival  he  became  intimate  with  a  young  lady 
employed  as  librarian  in  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
Rooms,  and  married  her.  It  was  not  a  happy  union,  and  two 
or  three  years  after  he  deserted  her.  From  the  religious  people 
of  Chicago  he  received  much  sympathy  on  account  of  his  antag- 
onism to  the  Oneida  Community ;  but  it  was  evident  to  those 


CHARLES  J.  GUITEAU. 


PRESIDENT  OARFIELD.  101 

who  knew  him  intimately  that  he  was  at  best  not  rightly  bal- 
anced, if  not  thoroughly  vicious.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  Chicago,  opened  an  office,  and  obtained  a  small  practice  in 
collecting  bills,  etc.  He  soon  developed  bad  habits  in  failing 
to  account  for  funds  collected,  and  came  to  grief  and  disgrace 
to  such  an  extent  that  he  left  Chicago.  He  next  opened  an 
office  in  New  York,  pursued  the  same  methods,  and  finally  landed 
in  Ludlow  Street  Jail  for  improper  appropriation  of  money.  lie 
was  released  through  the  efforts  of  his  brother-in-law,  George 
Scoville.  He  sued  the  New  York  Herald  and  Times  repeat- 
edly for  libel.  The  New  York  and  Chicago  papers  repeatedly 
posted  him  as  a  fraud,  and  he  retorted  by  instituting  libel  suits 
for  large  amounts.  None  of  these  cases  ever  came  to  trial. 
This  action  is  fully  characteristic  of  the  man,  it  being  also  a 
mania  with  him  to  gain  notoriety  in  every  conceivable  way.  He 
returned  to  Chicago  about  1875  and  attempted  to  resume  the 
practice  of  law.  He  failed  to  get  any  business,  because,  as  he 
said,  of  Heaven's  desire  to  make  known  through  him  the  truth 
about  the  second  coming  of  Christ.  He  claimed  that  Christ's 
second  coming  was  revealed  to  him  as  having  actually  transpired 
A.D.  70  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  dated  March  30, 
1873,  from  the  father  of  the  assassin  to  John  W.  Guiteau,  the 
brother  in  question,  in  which  he  writes  referring  to  "  his  abom- 
inable and  deceitful  dealings"  : 

"  I  have  been  ready  to  believe  him  capable  of  almost  any  folly, 
stupidity,  or  rascality.  The  only  possible  excuse  I  can  render 
for  him  is  that  he  is  insane.  Indeed,  if  I  was  called  as  a  witness 
upon  the  stand,  I  am  inclined  to  think  I  should  testify  that  he 
is  absolutely  insane  and  is  hardly  responsible  for  his  acts.  My 
own  impression  is  that  unless  something  shall  stop  him  in  his 
folly  and  mad  career  he  will  become  hopelessly  insane  and  a  fit 
subject  for  the  lunatic  asylum.  Before  I  finally  gave  him  up  I 
had  exhausted  all  my  powers  of  reason  and  persuasion,  as  well 
as  other  resources,  in  endearoring  to  control  his  actions  and 
thoughts,  but  without  avail.  I  found  he  was  deceitful  and  could 
not  be  depended  upon  in  anything ;  stubborn,  wilful,  conceited, 
and  at  all  times  outrageously  wicked,  apparently  possessed  with 
the  devil.  I  saw  him  once  or  twice  when  it  seemed  to  me  he 
was  willing  to  do  almost  any  wicked  thing.  You  will  remember 
perhaps  at  the  last  conversation  we  had  about  him,  I  told  you 


102  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

to  keep  clear  of  him  and  not  have  anything  to  do  with  him. 
Should  anybody  ask  about  him  now,  I  should  be  compelled  to 
say  to  them,  I  thought  he  was  insane,  or  at  least  a  monomaniac, 
and  should  there  leave  it  and  say  no  more  about  him.  His  in- 
sanity is  of  such  a  character  that  he  is  as  likely  to  become  a  sly, 
cunning  desperado  as  anything.  Could  I  see  him  I  might  pos- 
sibly make  another  and  more  vigorous  effort  to  change  the  whole 
channel  of  his  thoughts  and  feelings ;  if  I  could  not  do  that  I 
should  have  no  hope  whatever  of  being  able  to  do  him  any 
good.  I  made  up  my  mind  long  ago  never  to  give  him  another 
dollar  in  money  until  I  should  be  convinced  he  was  thoroughly 
humbled  and  radically  changed.  I  am  sometimes  afraid  he  would 
steal,  rob,  or  do  anything  before  his  egotism  and  self-conceit 
shall  be  knocked  out  of  him,  and  perhaps,  even  all  that  will  not 
do  it.  So,  you  see,  I  regard  his  case  as  hopeless,  or  nearly  so, 
and,  of  course,  know  no  other  way  but  to  dismiss  him  entirely 
from  my  mind.  I  leave  him  entirely  in  the  hands  of  his  Maker, 
with  a  very  faint  hope  that  he  can  be  changed  either  in  this 
world  or  the  next." 

It  was  evident  that  although  he  thought  he  had  some  new 
truths  to  reveal,  he  was  more  or  less  crazy.  He  delivered  a  dic- 
tatorial aggressive  lecture,  full  of  assertion,  but  bare  of  argument, 
and  entirely  lacking  in  oratorical  merit.  His  effort  was,  of 
course,  a  complete  failure.  He  left  town  without  paying  the 
bills  for  printing  and  hall  rent,  and  made  a  tour  of  some  of  the 
New  England  towns.  Local  papers  posted  him  as  a  crazy  fraud 
and  dead  "beat."  In  1879  he  republished  an  edition  of  a 
thousand  volumes  of  his  "  Life  of  Christ,"  under  D.  Lockwood 
&  Co.'s  imprint,  which  he  obtained  the  right  to  do  surrepti- 
tiously. It  was  printed  by  Wright  &  Potter,  who  were  never 
paid  for  their  work.  Failing  to  obtain  any  sales  of  his  book,  he 
advertised  himself  as  an  attorn ey-at-law,  with  an  office  in  the 
Congregational  House,  and  attempted  to  get  collections.  Ho 
had  no  license  to  practise  in  Massachusetts,  and  soon  after  left 
for  parts  unknown.  Before  his  departure  he  had  one  or  two 
stormy  interviews  with  his  brother,  John  W.  Guiteau.  A  num- 
ber of  persons,  boarding-house  keepers  and  others,  whom  Charles 
had  swindled,  had  inquired  of  John  W.  Guiteau  about  the  fel- 
low, and  he  had  told  them  that  his  brother  was  irresponsible. 
Charles  was  highly  indignant  at  this  action  of  his  brother,  and 
upbraided  him  for  it,  even  to  the  extent  of  showing  personal 


PRESIDENT  QARFIELD.  103 

violence,  so  that  on  one  or  two  occasions  Mr.  Guiteau  was  com- 
pelled to  forcibly  eject  him  from  his  office.  John  W.  Guiteau 
describes  his  brother  as  possessed  of  very  peculiar  moral  quali- 
ties. He  does  not  believe  he  would  intentionally  lie,  but  he  will 
contract  debts  without  limit  which  he  knows  he  will  be  unable 
to  pay.  For  instance,  he  once  borrowed  $200  from  Mr.  Scoville, 
giving  his  promissory  note  for  the  amount,  and  when  urged  to 
pay  the  obligation  exclaimed :  "  Why  he  knows  I  paid  him ;  he 
can  go  to  any  bank  and  get  the  money  on  my  note." 

After  leaving  Boston  in  1879  he  was  next  heard  of  as  being 
among  the  victims  of  the  Narragansett  disaster.  He  turned  up, 
however,  with  a  graphic  description  of  his  experiences  on  board 
that  unfortunate  vessel,  given  in  one  of  the  New  York  papers. 
He  has  since  roamed  about  the  country  from  Maine  to  California, 
living  by  his  wits.  *His  father  was  compelled  years  before  he 
died,  on  account  of  his  irregularities  and  dishonesty,  to  discard 
him. 

Describing  his  brother's  personal  and  mental  characteristics, 
Mr.  Guiteau  said  that  Charles  was  the  personification  of  egotism 
and  obstinacy.  He  was  lazy  beyond  degree.  When  remonstra- 
ted with  by  his  brother  for  some  dishonest  proceeding,  he  ex- 
claimed petulantly  :  "  You  talk  to  me  just  like  father ;  you  as- 
sume that  I  am  all  wrong."  He  is  a  great  reader  of  daily  litera- 
ture, and  Mr.  Guiteau  thinks  it  quite  probable  that  after  the 
assassination  of  the  Czar  he  put  himself  in  communication  with 
European  Nihilists,  and  has  tried  to  organize  a  society  in  this 
country.  He  was  a  man  of  incomparable  "  cheek"  and  claimed 
to  be  the  personal  friend  of  many  prominent  officials.  He  has 
always  been  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  has  not  been  a  mono- 
maniac on  the  subject  as  on  religion,  until  probably  the  begin- 
ning of  the  New  York  quarrel.  Personally  he  is  a  perfect  cow- 
ard, and  has  often  refused  to  go  into  a  dark  part  of  the  house  at 
night,  without  first  arming  himself  with  a  revolver. 


STORY    OF     ONE    WHO    HAS    KNOWN     HIM     FROM    THE    CRADLE     TO 
THE    CRIME. 

Colonel  Burnside,  the  disbursing  officer  at  the  Post-Office  De- 
partment, Washington,  says  he  knew  Guiteau  when  he  was  a 
baby  in  his  mother's  arms.  His  father,  J.  W.  Guiteau,  was  an 
old  resident  and  respected  citizen  of  Freeport,  111.,  where  he  held 


104  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

many  offices  of  trust.  Some  years  ago  he  became  deranged  on 
the  subject  of  "  Perfection,"  and  lectured  extensively  through 
the  North  and  West  on  that  subject.  He  married  a  very  beau- 
tiful woman,  with  whom  and  the  younger  children  he  joined 
the  Oneida  Community.  He  afterwards  returned  to  Freeport, 
where  from  1864  up  to  last  September,  the  time  of  his  death, 
he  served  as  cashier  of  the  Second  National  Bank.  There  were 
three  children.  An  older  brother,  Wilkes  Guiteau,  for  a  long 
time  practised  law  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  but  is  now  practising  his 
profession  in  Boston,  Mass.,  where  also  he  is  at  the  head  of  large 
insurance  interests.  A  younger  sister,  Flora,  was  a  very  promis- 
ing girl,  having  a  decided  talent  for  music.  Charles  Julius 
Guiteau,  who  to-day  is  in  jail  for  the  murder  of  the  President, 
was  an  odd  boy.  He  appears  to  have  been  the  only  one  of  the 
children  tainted  with  his  father's  eccentricities.  When  the 
family  left  the  Oneida  Community,  Charles,  then  fifteen  or  six- 
teen years  old,  was  left  behind.  He  afterwards  went  to  Chicago, 
where  he  studied  law,  being  cared  for  and  supplied  with  money 
by  his  father.  After  completing  his  studies  Guiteau  went  to 
Europe,  where  he  travelled  several  years,  imbibing  socialistic 
and  other  eccentric  doctrines.  A  few  years  ago  he  returned  to 
this  country  and  lectured  on  the  second  advent  of  Christ.  He 
published  a  pamphlet  on  the  subject,  in  which  the  egotism  of  the 
man  was  plainly  shown.  He  spoke  of  himself  as  a  messenger  of 
God  to  announce  his  coming.  His  lecture  here  in  Lincoln  Hall 
on  this  subject  was  a  failure.  Julius — we  used  to  call  him  Julius, 
but  I  see  he  has  dropped  that  part  of  his  name — is  now  about 
forty  or  forty-two  years  old.  From  what  I  knew  of  the  boy, 
his  education  in  the  Oneida  Community,  and  his  utterances  on 
religion,  I  was  not  at  all  surprised  at  his  committing  the  act  this 
morning.  I  understand  from  people  employed  at  the  White 
House  that  Guiteau  had  forced  himself  upon  the  President  be- 
fore. He  was  an  applicant  for  the  consulship  at  Marseilles,  and  a 
few  days  ago  obtained  access  to  the  President,  and  acted  so  rudely 
that  the  President  had  him  removed.  I  have  no  doubt  that,  feel- 
ing offended  by  this  act,  he  determined  on  the  course  which  cul- 
minated in  the  terrible  tragedy  of  this  morning.  Guiteau  was 
hanging  around  the  Republican  headquarters,  No.  241  Fifth 
Avenue,  New  York,  during  the  campaign  last  fall.  He  made  a 
few  speeches,  but  his  efforts  did  not  seem  to  be  appreciated  by 
the  committee.  He  was  poor  and  seedy  looking,  and  borrowed 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  105 

some  money  from  Mr.  Jewell  after  the  election,  and  a  few  days 
before  the  committee  broke  up  he  asked  Governor  Jewell  for  a 
recommendation  for  a  consulate.  He  specially  urged  that  if  he 
could  secure  a  consulate  a  certain  rich  lady  would  marry  him.  It 
is  not  known  whether  the  Governor  recommended  him  or  not, 
but  one  thing  is  certain — he  was  looked  upon  as  a  person  who 
was  not  exactly  right  in  the  upper  story. 

PREPARING    FOR   THE    DEED. 

John  J.  Rae,  one  of  the  clerks  at  the  Riggs  House,  made  the 
following  statement :  "  This  man  Guiteau  came  here  Thurs- 
day night,  registered,  and  was  assigned  to  room  No.  222,  which, 
by  a  strange  coincidence,  was  the  very  number  of  the  Pull- 
man palace  car  that  was  to  take  the  Presidental  party  to- 
day from  Washington.  Ever  since  the  Inauguration  he  has 
had  his  letters  addressed  here  and  called  regularly  for  them.  I 
noticed  that  most  of  his  letters  were  postmarked  Chicago.  It 
was  his  custom  to  present  his  card  and  inquire  for  his  mail.  He 
seemed  very  polite,  but  there  was  something  about  him  that  ap- 
peared strange.  He  often  seated  himself  in  the  waiting-room, 
but  rarely  engaged  in  conversation  with  any  one.  He  was  out 
much  of  the  time,  and  I  have  not  seen  him  since  he  registered. 
I  understand,  however,  that  he  came  here  this  morning,  got  a 
satchel  which  he  had  checked,  took  something  out  of  it,  and  re- 
turned the  same.  It  must  have  been  about  a  half  an  hour  be- 
fore he  committed  the  deed,  and  he  must  have  gone  directly  from 
the  house  to  the  depot." 

A  boarder  at  Mrs.  Grant's  said  that  Guiteau  had  been  a 
boarder  there  for  the  past  six  weeks ;  he  was  prompt  at  meals, 
but  when  he  came  in  too  early  he  walked  up  and  down  the  halls 
and  parlors  in  a  cat-like  manner.  The  boarders  never  took  to 
him  on  account  of  his  odd  actions,  and  we  all  thought  there  was 
something  wrong  about  him.  He  left  the  house  day  before  yes- 
terday, owing  six  weeks'  board.  A  Mr.  Barstow  overheard  a 
conversation  in  the  Baltimore  and  Potomac  Railroad  ticket-of- 
fice, last  evening,  which  clearly  showed  the  action  contemplated 
by  Guiteau.  He  says  that  Guiteau  came  into  tfye  office,  and  in- 
quired in  relation  to  the  train  that  the  President  proposed  taking 
to-day.  He  was  told  that  it  left  at  half-past  nine  A.M.  There- 
upon he  started  out  hurriedly,  remarking  as  he  neared  the  door, 
5* 


106  THE  ASSASSINATION  Off 

"  I'll  give  him  a  Russian  bomb."  Mr.  Barstow  said  he  was  sur- 
prised at  this  remark,  and  said  to  a  gentleman,  who  stood  near 
him,  that  such  an  assertion  from  an  insane  man  was  intolerable, 
let  alone  from  one  who  appeared  to  be  sound  in  mind;  that  he 
thought  such  an  assertion  would  justify  his  going  to  the  Attor- 
ney-General and  laying  the  matter  before  him. 

HIS    FIRST    MONTHS    AT    THE    CAPITAL. 

In  March  Guiteau  went  to  the  well-known  boarding-house  of 
Mrs.  Lockwood  (formerly  Mrs.  RinesJ,  No.  810  Twelfth  Street, 
and  tried  to  secure  board.  Mrs.  Lockwood  did  not  like  his  ap- 
pearance, and  gave  him  an  out-of-the-way  room  in  the  house  in 
the  hope  of  getting  rid  of  him.  He  pretended  to  know  General 
Logan  and  others  then  boarding  there. 


PERSONAL    PECULIARITIES. 

He  did  not  appear  to  get  along  very  well  with  the  boarders, 
who  avoided  him  as  much  as  possible.  "  He  appeared  to  have 
a  cat-like  tread,"  said  one  of  the  boarders,  "  and  walked  so 
easily  that  he  was  always  up  alongside  persons  before  they  knew 
it."  He  was  said  to  be  rude  at  the  table,  too,  so  much  so  that 
a  gentleman  and  his  wife  stopping  there  would  not  sit  alongside 
of  him.  Mrs.  Lockwood  states  that  he  acted  strangely  at  times, 
and  about  the  middle  of  the  month  when  she  presented  his  bill 
he  could  not  pay  it.  He  afterwards  left  the  house  and  sent  Mrs. 
Lockwood  a  note,  stating  that  he  was  expecting  a  $6,000  posi- 
tion and  would  soon  pay  his  bill.  Mrs.  Lockwood  showed  this 
note  to  General  Logan,  who  said  the  man  was  crazy.  Three 
weeks  ago  he  met  Mrs.  Ricksf  ord,  of  Mrs.  Lockwood's  boarding- 
house,  on  the  street,  and  requested  her  not  to  say  anything 
about  the  bill  he  owed,  as  it  would  injure  him  in  his  efforts  to 
secure  a  position.  He  expressed  great  pleasure  at  the  fact  that 
Mrs.  Lockwood  had  treated  him  very  kindly  while  he  was  at 
her  house.  Mrs.  Lockwood  said  that  Guiteau  was  a  great  bother 
to  General  Logan,  so  persistent  was  he  in  his  attempts  to  secure 
that  gentleman's  efforts  in  his  behalf.  Since  leaving  Mrs.  Lock- 
wood  s  house  he  has  been  stopping  at  various  places,  but  never 
for  a  great  length  of  time,  for  the  reason  that  he  appeared  to 
have  no  funds.  He  told  one  of  the  boarders  at  Mrs.  Lockwood's 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  107 

that  lie  expected  to  be  appointed  Minister  to  France,  but  he  did 
not  desire  it  to  be  known.  Up  to  the  day  before  yesterday,  when 
he  registered  at  the  Riggs  House,  Guiteau  had  been  stopping 
for  the  last  six  weeks,  with  no  baggage  but  a  paper  box,  at  No. 
920  Fourteenth  Street. 


AT    THE    CHICAGO    CONVENTION. 

The  librarian  of  the  Navy  Department  appeared  this  after- 
noon before  the  Attorney-General.  He  says  that  Guiteau  was 
one  of  Farwell's  supporters  in  the  effort  to  break  the  unit  rule 
in  the  Chicago  Convention,  and  says  that  Guiteau  was  in  the 
habit  of  calling  at  the  librarian's  room  and  telling  how  he  had 
been  treated  by  Secretary  Blaine. 


GUITEAU    IN    GOTHAM. 

According  to  the  statement  of  some  gentlemen  who  had  per- 
sonal dealings  with  Guiteau,  he  came  to  this  city  in  1871,  shortly 
after  the  Chicago  fire,  and  hiring  an  office  carried  on  the  prac- 
tice of  the  law.  According  to  statements  made  by  him  after- 
wards, he  arrived  in  New  York  a  perfect  stranger  and  with  only 
810  in  money.  The  first  year,  however,  he  made  $1,500  from 
his  professional  work  and  the  second  year  $2,500.  He  had 
cards  issued  on  which  was  printed  "  Charles  J.  Guiteau,  attor- 
ney and  counsellor-at-law  of  the  Supreme  Court."  Notwithstand- 
ing the  above-mentioned  sums  of  money  which  he  claimed  to 
have  earned  in  the  practice  of  the  law  he  became  known  in  many 
boarding-houses  of  this  city  as  a  swindler.  In  the  fall  of  1873 
he  was  arraigned  before  Justice  Sherman  Smith  in  Jefferson 
Market  Police  Court  on  a  charge  of  false  pretence.  The  com- 
plainant was  the  proprietor  of  the  St.  Nicholas  Hotel.  Guiteau 
had  been  stopping  at  the  hotel  for  some  time,  and  avoided  pay- 
ment of  his  bill  by  tendering  many  plausible  excuses.  When 
the  amount  he  owed  had  become  quite  large  he  disappeared  sud- 
denly. Detective  Kealy,  of  the  hotel,  got  upon  his  track  and 
finally  ran  him  down.  The  proprietor  of  the  St.  Nicholas  was 
only  one  of  a  number  of  people  who  turned  up  in  court  against 
Guiteau  as  soon  as  the  news  of  his  arrest  became  known.  Mrs. 
Simonson,  who  kept  a  large  boarding-house  at  No.  31  East  Twenty- 
second  Street,  testified  before  Justice  Smith  that  Guiteau  had  been 


108  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

a  guest  in  her  house,  and  that  in  settlement  of  his  board  bill  he 
had  given  her  a  check  for  $21  on  the  Leather  Manufacturers' 
Bank.  She  believed  the  check  to  be  genuine,  but  when  it  was 
presented  for  payment  at  the  bank  the  cashier  said  that  Guiteau 
not  only  did  not  have  an  account  there  but  had  never  had  one. 
The  check  was  obtained  by  Mrs.  Simonson  only  after  she  had 
become  possessed  of  Guiteau's  baggage,  and  held  it  as  security 
for  his  indebtedness.  He  asked  her  to  give  him  the  baggage, 
which  she  refused  to  do  unless  he  settled  with  her.  He  then 
presented  her  with  the  check,  received  his  property,  and  disap- 
peared. Other  complainants  against  him  were  Stephen  Thorne, 
of  No.  19  West  Twenty-fourth  Street;  John  P.  Worstell,  of  No. 
208  Fifth  Avenue ;  Mrs.  Bishop,  of  No.  31  Madison  Avenue,  and 
Mrs.  Stahl,  of  No.  26  East  Twenty-third  Street,  who  testified  that 
they  had  been  similarly  victimized.  Guiteau  had  boarded  at 
different  times  with  each  of  these  parties,  run  up  bills,  and  in 
some  instances  absconded  at  night  with  his  baggage.  When  he 
was  prevented  from  carrying  out  this  plan  he  resorted  to  the 
passing  of  worthless  checks,  as  in  the  case  of  Mrs.  Simonson. 
Guiteau  denounced  the  charges  made  against  him  as  malicious 
and  false.  In  explanation  of  the  check  he  had  given  on  the 
Leather  Manufacturers'  Bank,  he  said  that  he  had  kept  an  ac- 
count with  the  institution  for  several  months,  and  had  placed  in 
it  as  much  as  $1,000.  He  claimed  that  not  one  of  the  com- 
plainants had  a  lien  on  his  baggage,  as  they  were  not  boarding- 
house-keepers  under  the  law,  and  he  had  a  right  to  remove  it. 
He  -acknowledged  that  he  owed  each  of  the  persons  named  small 
balance  for  board:  To  Mr.  Thorne,  $20;  to  Mr.  Worstell,  $15; 
to  Mrs.  Bishop,  $12;  to  Mrs.  Stahl,  $6,  and  $16  to  Mrs.  Simon- 
son.  Mrs.  Simonson,  he  went  on  to  say,  kept  a  boarding-house 
near  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel,  and  he  boarded  with  her  two 
months.  He  paid  her  promptly  every  two  weeks,  but  ran  $21 
in  her  debt  toward  the  latter  part  of  his  stay  there.  He  gave 
her  the  check  for  this  amount.  At  that  time  he  had  an  ac- 
count with  the  Leather  Manufacturers'  Bank,  but  she  withheld 
presentation  of  the  check  until  it  was  three  weeks  overdue,  when 
she  returned  it  to  him,  saying  it  was  worthless.  He  gave  her  $5, 
and  promised  to  pay  the  remainder  in  a  short  time  afterwards. 
Justice  Smith,  having  heard  the  testimony  on  both  sides,  com- 
mitted Guiteau  to  the  Tombs  Prison  in  default  of  $1,000  bail. 
Guiteau  described  his  feelings  at  this  time  in  the  following 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  109 

words :  "  I  had  no  money  and  no  relatives  in  the  city,  and  I  lan- 
guished in  prison  for  over  five  long  and  dreary  weeks,  hourly 
and  daily  expecting  and  hoping  and  praying  for  my  release,  as 
I  knew  my  detention  was  wholly  illegal.  Finally  it  came,  thank 
God!  I  was  free  again.  Free  to  breathe  the  sweet  air  of 
heaven ;  free  to  go  and  come ;  free  to  do  my  own  will ;  free  to 
eat,  drink,  and  sleep  like  decent  people,  and  to  associate  with 
them.  No  one  never  imprisoned  can  realize  the  horrors  of  con- 
finement. It  is  a  lingering  death.  '  A  man  who  can't  buy  bread 
is  no  man  at  all,'  people  have  thought  when  I  asked  them  to  aid 
me,  and  they  were  right." 


SUED  FOR   MISAPPROPRIATION. 

On  the  21st  of  April,  1874,  Guiteau  was  defendant  in  an 
application  in  the  Supreme  Court,  Chambers,  for  an  attachment 
to  compel  him  to  pay  certain  moneys  collected  by  him  for  the 
Reis  Brothers,  wholesale  grocers,  of  Cincinnati.  The  applica- 
tion was  made  to  Judge  Donohue  by  Reis  Brothers'  counsel, 
General  Sandford,  who  stated  that  the  firm  had  placed  in 
Guiteau's  hands  a  note  for  collection,  and  that  Guiteau  had 
collected  $175.  They  wrote  for  the  money.  Guiteau's  answer 
was,  "  All  respectable  lawyers  retain  a  half  for  collections.  I 
liave  collected  my  half,  and  therefore  nothing  is  due  to  you !" 
Reis  Brothers  were  owed  $275  by  a  Chicago  firm  who  failed  in 
1870.  Guiteau,  then  in  Chicago,  wrote  to  Reis  Brothers  ask- 
ing if  they  would  accept  fifteen  cents  on  the  dollar.  Reis 
Brothers,  supposing  he  was  acting  on  behalf  of  the  firm  that 
had  failed,  replied  that  they  would  accept  not  less  than  fifty 
cents  on  the  dollar.  The  next  they  heard  of  this  matter  was 
that  the  bankrupt  firm  had  settled  with  Guiteau  for  $175. 
Guiteau's  claim  was  that  the  $175  was  his  for  the  trouble  he  had 
taken  in  settling  the  matter,  that  this  bankrupt  firm  had 
promised  to  settle  the  amount  in  full,  and  that  when  they  did 
so  Reis  Brothers  would  receive  their  share,  which  he  figured  at 
$82.  The  application  was  denied  by  Judge  Donohue.  At 
tiiat  time  Guiteau  had  his  office  at  No.  170  Broadway.  After- 
wards his  office  was  at  No.  51  Chambers  Street  and  No.  57 
Liberty  Street.  He  next  turned  up  at  No.  144  Dearborn  Street, 
Chicago. 


HO  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


HIS   ADVENTURES   IN   NEW   YORK. 

ALBANY,  July  2,  1881. 

During  the  campaign  last  fall  he  turned  up  at  various  places 
in  this  State. 

Thurlow  Weed  Barnes,  of  the  Albany  Evening  Journal,  a 
grandson  of  Thurlow  Weed,  says  that  Guiteau  called  upon  him 
last  October,  and  asked  for  a  chance  to  speak  on  the  stump  for 
the  Republican  national  ticket.  Guiteau  said  he  had  been 
employed  by  the  Republican  State  Committee  to  do  work  at 
their  rooms  in  New  York  and  that  he  was  on  his  way  there. 
Mr.  Barnes  questioned  him  closely  at  the  time,  and,  not  liking 
his  looks,  told  E.  M.  Johnson,  secretary  of  the  State  Committee, 
that  he  believed  Guiteau  to  be  a  fraud.  Mr.  Johnson  made  a 
memorandum,  and  said  he  would  look  into  the  case.  Mr. 
Barnes  was  chairman  of  the  County  Committee.  Guiteau  said 
he  came  from  Chicago.  He  was  in  Poughkeepsie  in  July  last, 
and  advertised  a  lecture  on  the  political  situation  on  the  even- 
ing of  July  2,  one  year  ago  to-day.  An  admission  fee  was  to 
be  charged,  and  as  people  would  not  pay  to  go  to  a  political 
meeting  the  lecture  was  not  delivered.  He  afterwards  wanted  to 
be  engaged  as  a  speaker  by  the  Republican  Committee,  but 
leading  Republicans  then  thought  his  mind  was  unsound  and 
they  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  him.  He  afterwards  was 
announced  to  speak  at  other  places  in  the  State. 


A  SARATOGA  REMINISCENCE. 

A  special  despatch  to  the  Herald  from  Saratoga  Springs 
says:  Guiteau  came  to  Saratoga  Springs  in  July,  1880,  and 
stopped  at  C.  R.  Brown's  boarding-house.  When  his  week 
was  up  he  failed  to  pay  and  left  for  the  Columbia  Hotel,  regis- 
tering there  on  Saturday  evening,  July  3.  He  had  announced 
himself  to  deliver  a  political  lecture,  entitled  "  Hancock  vs. 
Garfield,"  at  the  Town  Hall,  on  the  previous  Thursday  evening, 
charging  an  admission  fee.  Nobody  attended,  as  there  were 
too  many  political  harangues  to  be  heard  without  price  at  that 
time.  His  announcement  was  a  curious  piece  of  bombastic 
nonsense,  in  which  he  styled  himself  "  The  celebrated  orator 
of  the  West"  He  made  another  attempt  on  Saturday  evening, 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  HI 

July  10,  but  even  the  doorkeeper  failed  to  put  in  an  appearance. 
He  left  Saratoga  on  the  following  morning,  again  leaving  his 
bill  unpaid,  but  stating  in  a  note  that  he  would  remit  from 
New  York,  which  he  never  did.  He  was  not  particularly  loud, 
and  betrayed  no  evidences  of  insanity  in  his  general  conduct. 
On  August  6,  following,  he  delivered  in  New  York  city  the 
speech  to  be  found  subjoined  : 

GUITEAU'S  LAST  CAMPAIGN  SPEECH. 

The  appended  speech  was  delivered  by  Guiteau  in  New  York, 
August  6  last,  and  issued  in  pamphlet  form  by  the  Republican 
National  Committee : 

GARFIELD  AGAINST  HANCOCK. 

A  SPEECH  BT  CHARLES  GUITEAU,  OF  CHICAGO,  ILL.,  DELIVERED  IN 
NEW  YORK,  AUGUST  6,  1880. 

New  York  Address,  Republican  National  Committee,  241  Fifth 
Avenue, 


THE  PAST  REVIEWED. 


In  1861  this  nation  was  convulsed  by  one  of  the  most 
gigantic  wars  on  record.  For  generations  America  had  been 
cursed  by  human  slavery,  and  the  conviction  had  been  growing 
among  all  classes  that  no  nation  could  always  continue  half  free 
and  half  slave.  In  1834  William  Lloyd  Garrison,  backed  by 
Wendell  Phillips,  the  silver-tongued  orator  of  Boston,  assaulted 
American  slavery  as  in  league  with  the  lower  regions.  They 
denounced  it  in  season  and  out  of  season,  by  voice  and  pen. 
Little  by  little  they  were  backed  by  Horace  Greeley,  the  great, 
good  Horace ;  Henry  Ward  Beecher ;  Harriet  Beecher  STbwe, 
with  her  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin"  (a  matchless  work  of  fiction); 
Charles  Sumner,  who  was  stricken  down  in  the  United  States 
Senate  by  Bully  Brooks,  of  South  Carolina,  and  scores  of  like- 
minded  compatriots.  In  1856  the  Republican  party  was 
organized.  It  was  an  offshoot  of  the  old  Whig  party,  founded 
by  Henry  Clay,  he  of  matchless  eloquence,  and  by  Daniel 
Webster,  the  favorite  and  gifted  son  of  New  England  and  the 
great  defender  of  our  national  Constitution.  In  1856  Fremont, 
the  standard-bearer  of  the  young  Republicans,  was  defeated  for 


112  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

the  Presidency  by  Buchanan,  backed  by  the  slave  oligarchy. 
In  1861  the  Republicans  elected  to  the  Presidency  Abraham 
Lincoln — the  immortal  Lincoln.  This  was  the  signal  for  a 
grand  onslaught  by  the  slave  oligarchy  on  the  principles  of 
liberty  and  progress.  In  1861,  after  years  of  agitation  for  and 
against  American  slavery,  the  cannons  were  heard  booming 
around  Sumter,  and  our  national  existence  was  in  peril.  Jeff 
Davis  and  his  cotraitors  had  seceded.  They  had  stolen  some 
of  our  forts  and  implements  of  war,  and  were  trying  to  run  a 
government  on  their  own  account.  They  had  trampled  under 
foot  our  national  flag — that  grand  old  ensign  of  our  Republic. 
When  the  rebels  assaulted  Sumter  it  stirred  the  North  to  its 
depth.  "  To  arms !  To  arms !"  resounded  all  over  this  broad 
land.  Thousands  of  brave  boys  went  to  battle — to  victory  or 
to  death.  They  left  their  homes  and  loved  ones — many  never 
to  return.  Their  mangled  remains  lie  buried  in  many  a  grave. 
After  years  of  war  came  peace.  Our  national  flag  again 
waved  in  triumph  from  every  fort  and  battlement  in  the 
Republic,  and  slavery  was  no  more.  In  1861  there  lived  at 
Galena,  in  my  own  native  State  of  Illinois,  a  quiet,  modest  man. 
He  had  graduated  at  West  Point.  He  had  seen  service  in  Cali- 
fornia and  Oregon.  He  had  tasted  poverty  and  distress  in  St. 
Louis  and  Galena.  When  President  Lincoln  called  for  75,000 
troops  to  suppress  the  incipient  rebellion,  Captain  Grant  deter- 
mined to  offer  his  services  to  the  Government,  and  went  to 
Springfield  and  interviewed  Governor  Yates.  After  some  delay 
he  was  given  a  position,  and  finally  was  sent  into  the  field  as 
colonel.  Little  by  little  he  arose  till  he  became  general  of  the 
national  arms.  From  Galena  through  the  war  to  the  White 
House  was  but  a  step.  From  the  White  House  around  the 
globe,  the  recipient  of  the  greatest  ovations  ever  given  to 
mortal  man,  was  but  another.  Such  prosperity  would  have 
crazed  most  men,  but  it  did  not  Grant.  The  great,  silent  man's 
head  is  just  as  level  to-day  as  when  he  sold  cowhides  in  the 
streets  of  Galena.  The  military  genius  of  Grant  is  not  surpassed 
by  that  of  Alexander,  Julius  Caesar,  or  the  great  Napoleon. 
Originally  a  Grant  man,  I  am  well  satisfied  with  Garfield's 
nomination.  "  Nothing  but  an  act  of  God,"  said  the  great 
senator  from  New  York,  "  can  prevent  Grant's  nomination." 
General  Garfield  was  born  in  poverty  and  obscurity,  and  has 
attained  his  present  position  under  Providence  by  his  own 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  113 

efforts.  When  the  -war  came  he  was  president  of  a  small 
college  in  Ohio,  and  promptly  offered  his  services  to  the  govern 
ment  in  suppressing  the  rebellion.  After  nearly  three  years' 
service  he  was  made  a  major-general.  He  was  then  elected  to 
Congress  and  has  held  the  position  ever  since.  His  long 
service  on  some  of  the  most  important  committees  shows  that 
he  is  a  square  man  and  can  be  implicitly  trusted.  Some  people 
say  he  got  badly  soiled  in  that  Credit  Mobilier  transaction,  but 
I  guess  he  is  clean-handed.  Last  winter  he  was  elected  to  the 
United  States  Senate  in  place  of  Senator  Thurman,  and  to-day 
he  is  the  Republican  nominee  for  the  Presidency,  with  every 
prospect  of  success.  He  is  a  high-toned,  conscientious,  Chris- 
tian gentleman.  Some  persons  are  down  on  General  Arthur 
because  he  was  removed  from  the  New  York  Collectorship  by 
President  Hayes.  General  Arthur  was  appointed  Collector  by 
General  Grant,  and  held  that  important  office  for  several  years, 
and  gave  unbounded  satisfaction  to  the  merchants  of  New  York 
by  his  able  and  careful  administration  of  his  office,  and  he  is 
supposed  to  have  been  removed  without  cause.  General  Arthur 
is  a  lawyer  of  marked  ability,  great  culture,  wide  experience, 
and  would  be  an  ornament  in  the  Vice-Prosidont's  chair.  When 
I  was  a  boy  Washburne  represented  the  Galena  and  Freeport 
district  in  Congress.  I  was  born  in  Freeport,  111.,  and  I  have 
watched  with  marked  pride  the  brilliant  career  of  Grant  and 
"Washburne.  Grant,  Washburne,  Garficld — these  names  go 
together.  Grant,  renowned  in  war  and  in  peace;  Washburne, 
distinguished  for  his  civil  service  at  home  and  abroad ;  Garfield, 
the  scholar,  soldier,  and  statesman.  In  October  last,  in  old 
Faneuil  Hall,  in  Boston,  I  heard  Senator  Chandler,  who  was  the 
keenest  Roman  of  us  all,  say  that  the  rebel  spirit  then  was  the 
same  that  it  was  twenty  years  ago,  just  prior  to  the  breaking 
out  of  the  rebellion,  and  he  was  right.  The  Democrats  now  in 
majority  in  Congress  would  precipitate  this  action  into  another 
war  had  they  power,  and  they  would  have  the  power  save  for 
President  Hayes  and  his  stalwart  Cabinet.  The  Democratic 
majority  now  in  Congress  makes  it  imperative  that  the  President 
and  Cabinet  be  Republican,  otherwise  the  national  Government 
will  be  entirely  controlled  by  ex-rebels  and  their  Northern 
friends.  The  Democratic  party  are  panting  for  the  national 
Treasury.  They  have  been  starving  since  Buchanan  retired,  in 
1861,  and  they  are  dreadfully  hungry.  They  will  make  a 


114  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

desperate  effort  to  get  in  this  time  under  the  lead  of  that 
gallant  soldier  General  Hancock.  Hancock's  nomination  was  a 
godsend  to  the  Democratic  party,  and  they  will  make  the  most 
of  it.  They  are  trying  to  run  him  as  they  did  Horace  Greeley 
in  18Y2.  Poor  Horace  went  down  in  that  combination,  and  the 
chances  are  that  Hancock  will  do  likewise.  This  is  the  issue — 
a  solid  North  against  a  solid  South.  The  North  conquered  the 
South  on  the  field  of  hattle,  and  now  they  must  do  it  at  the 
polls  in  November,  or  they  may  have  to  fight  another  war.  Ye 
men  whose  sons  perished  in  the  war  what  say  you  to  the  issue  ? 
Shall  we  have  another  war  ?  Shall  our  national  Treasury  be 
controlled  by  ex-rebels  and  their  Northern  allies,  to  the  end 
that  millions  of  dollars  of  Southern  war  claims  be  liquidated  ? 
If  you  want  the  Republic  bankrupted,  with  the  prospect  of 
another  war,  make  Hancock  President.  If  you  want  prosperity 
and  peace,  make  Garfield  President,  and  the  Republic  will 
develop  till  it  becomes  the  greatest  and  wealthiest  nation  on  the 
globe. 

GUITEAU'S    BOOK. 

In  1879  the  Chicago  firm  of  Donelly,  Gassette  &  Loyd  pub- 
lished a  small  volume  of  religious  essays  and  lectures  by  the 
assassin  of  the  President.  The  title,  which  is  headed  "  A  Book 
for  Every  One  to. Read,"  is  "The  Truth,  a  Companion  to  the 
Bible.  By  Charles  J.  Guiteau,  lawyer,  theologian,  and  lec- 
turer." The  short  preface  is,  "A  new  line  of  thought  runs 
through  this  book,  and  the  author  asks  for  it  careful  attention 
to  the  end  that  many  souls  may  find  the  Saviour."  Under  five 
different  heads  infidels  are  answered,  St.  Paul  is  eulogized,  the 
second  coming  of  Christ  is  asserted  to  have  occurred  at  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  Christianity  is  reviewed,  and  Hades 
described.  In  the  opening  essay,  "A  Reply  to  Recent  Attacks 
on  the  Bible,"  the  author,  by  quotation  from  the  Bible  and 
learned  divines,  argues  the  existence  of  hell,  defends  the  doctrine 
of  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  and  the  Holy  Book  which  he 
insists  is  God's  word.  In  speaking  of  the  atonement  he  con- 
cludes :  " '  But,'  says  a  noted  infidel,  and  this  is  his  great  point, 
'  hell  being  such  a  terrible,  awful  place,  and  God  being  so  very 
good,  He  won't  send  any  one  there.'  We  answer,  God  must 
sustain  his  government.  Heaven  is  for  the  righteous.  Hell  is 
for  the  wicked.  Heaven  would  be  a  hell,  if  the  wicked  could 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  115 

get  into  it.  Hell  is  for  the  devil's  seed ;  heaven  is  for  Christ's 
seed."  Further  on  he  speaks  of  the  infidel's  end.  "  When  the 
cold  hand  of  death  comes  you  will  curse  the  day  of  your  birth,  you 
will  flee  to  the  mountains  and  say,  Fall  on  me  !  fall  on  me  !  for  I 
have  crucified  the  Son  of  God.  Henceforth  there  is  nothing  for 
me  but  eternal  remorse.  This  remorse  is  the  '  worm '  that  burns 
forever  and  ever."  The  reply  to  infidel  statements  is  followed 
by  a  short  essay  on  the  life  of  "  Paul,  the  Apostle."  In  opening 
this  he  says  of  Christ:  "This  wonderful  creature  had  no  where 
to  lay  his  head.  He  had  no  money,  He  had  no  friends.  He 
never  travelled.  He  never  wrote  a  book.  He  was  hated, 
despised,  and  finally  crucified  as  a  vile  impostor.  Then  back  he 
went  to  the  bosom  of  his  Father."  In  opening  his  talk  about 
Paul,  he  says  :  "  When  God  wants  anything  done,  he  sends  a 
man  to  do  it."  Further  on  we  quote :  "  '  The  powers  that  be,' 
said  Paul,  in  the  midst  of  pagan  Rome,  '  are  ordained  of  God !' 
A  strange  statement  for  an  ambassador  of  Christ  to  make,  and 
explained  on  the  ground  that  Christ's  kingdom  is  not  of  this 
world."  At  the  end  of  this  essay  the  writer  makes  the  curious 
statement,  "  Yes,  yes ;  thou  Paul  waited  only  two  years  for  thy 
'  crown.'  Thou  wert  executed  A.D.  68,  and  thy  Master  came  at  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  A.D.  70,  and  gavest  thee  thy  '  crown.'  " 


CHRIST    ALREADY    COME. 

The  third  portion  of  the  book  is  devoted  to  a  lecture  embody- 
ing the  author's  peculiar  views  as  to  this  alleged  second  coming 
of  Christ.  It  is  headed  "Christ's  Second  Coming.  At  the 
Destruction  of  Jerusalem,  A.D.  70.  This  lecture  is  a  key  to  the 
Bible ;  study  it  and  get  some  new  and  important  ideas."  The 
reason  that  the  expectation  of  eighteen  centuries  as  to  the  second 
coming  of  Christ  has  not  been  fulfilled  is  because  "  He  came  at 
the  siege  of  Jerusalem,  A.D.  70,  'in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  with 
power  and  great  glory,'  and  judged  'the  quick  and  the  dead,' 
the  righteous  and  wicked  of  the  primitive  Church  and  Jewish 
nation.  This  is  the  proposition  we  propose  to  establish  by  a 
careful  review  of  the  New  Testament."  The  great  value  of  his 
"  discovery"  is,  he  claims,  that  no  one  can  understand  the  Bible 
without  it. 

Many  ingenious  quotations  and  applications  of  Scripture  are 
resorted  to  to  prove  his  theory  that  all  Christ's  predictions 


116  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

relative  to  his  second  coming  were  fulfilled  prior  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  that  city,  and  that  immediately  thereafter  he  "  snatched 
the  righteous  part  of  the  primitive  Church  and  the  righteous  dead 
of  past  ages  and  hurried  with  them  into  glory."  "  This  was 
the  first  resurrection  and  first  judgment  corresponding  to  the 
Jewish  and  Gentile  dispensations.  The  Jews  as  a  nation  had 
their  judgment  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  Gentiles 
will  have  theirs  at  the  end  of  the  world."  He  rejects  Peter's 
idea  about  the  burning  up  of  the  physical  universe  as  simulta- 
neous with  Christ's  second  coming,  stating  that  God  allowed  it  to 
go  into  the  Bible  because  "  God  wanted  to  curse  the  Antichrist 
part  of  the  primitive  Church  on  account  of  their  unbelief  con- 
cerning the  coming  of  Christ  then  at  hand."  His  doctrine,  he 
contends,  abolishes  the  communion  which  was  to  be  celebrated 
"In  remembrance  of  me  till  I  come." 

He  tells  us  in  the  next  lecture,  which  "reviews  Christianity 
from  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  to  the  present  time,"  that 
Josephus  and  other  historians  make  no  mention  of  Christ's 
appearing  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  because  it  happened 
"  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,"  directly  over  that  city,  and  besides 
that  they  were  too  busy  recording  what  happened  on  earth. 
The  "terrible  record  of  Christianity  during  the  dark  ages"  was 
because  Christ  had  left  behind  the  unrighteous  part  of  the 
primitive  Church.  During  the  fifteen  centuries  to  the  time  of 
Luther  "  the  Almighty  seems  to  have  withdrawn  all  interest  in 
human  affairs."  The  Roman  Catholic  Church  had  its  origin  in 
"the  apostates  whom  Christ  left  on  earth,"  and  Luther  was 
used  as  the  instrument  of  reformation.  Since  then  Christianity 
has  been  cursed  by  the  thousand  subdivisions  among  Protest- 
ants. 

The  conclusion,  which  is  devoted  to  "  Hades,"  informs  us 
that  all  who  died  before  A.D.  70  went  to  Hades,  and  remained 
there  until  that  time,  when  they  were  resurrected  and  judged, 
the  "sheep"  passing  into  heaven  and  the  "goats"  into  hell. 
Hades  the  author  defines  as  a  "resting  place  of  the  dead," 
"neither  heaven  nor  hell."  Its  inhabitants  are  in  a  state  of 
sleep,  but  not  necessarily  of  unconsciousness.  All  who  have 
died  since  A.D.  70  "have  been  detained  in  Hades,"  where  they 
will  remain  until  the  final  judgment.  Paul,  who  was  executed 
A.D.  68,  only  waited  two  years  in  Hades,  while  Abraham  was 
there  2,000  years.  "  The  judgment  of  the  Gentiles  and  the 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  117 

destruction   of   this   physical  universe  will  be  simultaneous." 
The  world  "  is  rapidly  ripening  for  its  final  end." 


MORE  ABOUT  THE  ASSASSIN. 

"  I  know  Charles  J.  Guiteau  very  well,"  said  Mr.  Stephen 
English,  the  editor  of  the  Insurance  Times,  to  a  Herald 
reporter.  "  He  is  an  old  offender,  and  there  are  many  in  this 
city  who  have  good  cause  to  complain  of  his  fraudulent  con- 
duct, myself  among  the  number.  Some  time  ago  I  retained 
him  as  my  lawyer  in  a  case  and  intrusted  him  with  a  check  for 
$300  to  pay  certain  parties  for  services  rendered.  He  drew  the 
money  and,  instead  of  paying  it  out  as  I  directed,  he  appro- 
priated it  to  his  own  purposes.  Now,  he  had  not  the  slightest 
excuse  for  this  breach  of  trust,  as  I  paid  him  liberally  for  his 
legal  services.  I  had  to  pay  the  $300  a  second  time  and 
brought  an  action  in  the  courts  against  him  to  recover  the  sum. 
A  judgment  was  obtained  against  him,  but  when  Guiteau 
heard  of  it  he  fled  the  city.  If  you  turn  to  the  files  of  the 
Herald  for  the  autumn  of  1873  you  will  find  that  he  there 
figured  in  police  courts,  where  he  was  charged  with  what  is 
vulgarly  known  as  "  bilking"  hotel  and  boarding-house  keepers. 
The  reason  I  employed  him  was  that  I  knew  his  brother,  John 
J.  Guiteau,  who  was  then  and  is  now  connected  with  a  life 
insurance  agency  in  Boston.  His  brother  is  a  very  pleasant 
man  and  bore  a  good  reputation.  As  soon  as  I  ascertained 
Guiteau's  real  character  from  the  Herald  police  reports  I 
determined  to  secure  his  criminal  indictment,  but  was  dissuaded 
from  my  purpose  by  my  lawyer,  Mr.  Darlington.  He  subse- 
quently went  on  the  lecture  platform  and  expatiated  on  religious 
topics,  but  did  not  venture  nearer  to  New  York  than  Jersey 
City,  as  he  knew  I  was  anxious  to  secure  his  arrest.  I  have 
always  held  that  he  was  a  disgrace  to  the  legal  profession,  and 
I  have  been  told  that  he  was  debarred  in  Illinois." 

"  Do  you  think  it  likely  that  he  was  insane  when  he  shot  the 
President,  as  is  intimated  in  the  Washington  despatches  ?" 

"  Insane  ?  Not  at  all.  He  was  a  cool,  calculating  villain,  and 
has  always  borne  that  character.  There  was  nothing  of  the  fool 
about  him.  He  was  a  rascally  knave,  who  dressed  well,  talked 
well,  and  cheated  everybody  he  came,  in  contact  with.  He 


118  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

would  accept  a  case  and  talk  very  favorably  about  it  until  he 
had  secured  all  the  money  from  his  client  that  he  could.  After 
months  of  procrastination  and  promises  the  client  would  wake 
up  to  find  that  he  had  been  gulled  and  that  nothing  had  been 
done  in  the  case  at  all.  Whoever  takes  Charles  J.  Guiteau  for 
a  fool  is  mistaken.  He  is  an  innate  rascal.  I  never  would  have 
suspected  him  of  assassination  though ;  he  was  not  the  style  of 
a  man  who  would  ordinarily  be  capable  of  that  kind  of  crime." 

"  Did  you  know  of  his  aspirations  for  office  ?" 

"I  know  that  he  was  looking  for  a  United  States  Consulship, 
and  there  never  was  a  man  more  unfit  for  such  a  position. 
The  President  showed  his  wisdom  by  refusing  to  have  anything 
to  do  with  him.  I  suppose  he  must  have  made  an  investigation 
into  his  record  and  then  dropped  him  from  his  consideration. 
If  Mr.  Garfield  had  appointed  him  as  a  consul  I  would  have 
written  to  the  Senate  and  taken  every  means  in  my  power  to 
denounce  him.  This  is  a  fit  ending  to  the  life  of  such  a  man  as 
Guiteau  was." 

"Was  he  a  good  lawyer?" 

"  No,  I  don't  think  he  was.  At  least  he  never  showed  any  legal 
cleverness  or  tact  here.  The  man  simply  got  all  the  money  he 
could  before  his  client  found  out  who  he  was.  As  to  his  being 
debarred  in  Illinois  I  got  that  information  through  another 
person  ;  but  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  it  is  true.  He 
was,  I  think,  readmitted  to  the  bar  in  this  State.  His  brother 
is  an  entirely  different  kind  of  a  person.  He  used  to  be  in  the 
employ  of  an  insurance  company  in  this  city.  I  had  close 
business  relations  with  him  several  times,  and  came  to  think  of 
Charles  J.  Guiteau  as  a  good  lawyer,  because  he  was  talked  of 
frequently." 

General  Ramsey,  of  New  Jersey,  was  very  emphatic  in  his 
denunciation  of  the  outrage.  He  said  :  "  It  is  a  most  terrible 
affair,  and  I  cannot  fully  realize  it  as  yet.  My  opinion  is  that 
the  crime  was  committed  by  some  political  enemy,  who  saw 
that  General  Garfield  was  a  man  of  nerve  and  courage,  and 
could  not  be  swayed  by  the  clamor  of  one  faction  or  another. 
I  am  at  a  loss  to  think  what  the  event  may  mean.  Events  can 
only  determine  that.  My  impression  is,  however,  that  the 
design  was  well  thought  over  and  that  the  work  was  done  by  a 
cold-blooded  villain.  I  do  not  believe  in  his  insanity,  although 
he  may  have  had  this  affliction.  The  country  is  not  in  the 


PRESIDENT  QARFIELD.  119 

best  possible  condition  when  our  President  cannot  go  on  the 
streets  of  the  capital  with  safety." 

On  the  register  of  the  librarian's  department  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  at  Twenty-third  Street  and  Fourth 
Avenue,  is  written  in  a  bold,  round  hand,  under  date  of  October 
20,  1873,  in  the  handwriting  of  President  Garfield's  assassin: — 
"Guiteau,  Charles  J.,  31  East  Twenty-second  Street,  city." 

The  librarian  of  the  institution,  Mr.  R.  B.  Poole,  when  ques- 
tioned concerning  the  would-be  murderer  by  a  Herald  reporter, 
said :  "  Since  he  first  registered  his  name  in  that  book  Guiteau 
was  in  the  habit  of  coming  here  on  and  off.  Sometimes  I  would 
see  nothing  of  him  for  months  together,  and  he  has  remained  away 
as  long  as  six  months  and  a  year.  About  six  years  ago  he  went 
to  Chicago  to  study  law  and  remained  there  a  long  while.  Then 
he  came  back  here  again.  He  told  me  he  was  a  passenger  on 
the  steamer  Narragansett  at  the  time  she  was  wrecked  by  col- 
liding with  the  Stonington  on  the  Sound.  I  remember  he  came 
up  here  the  next  day,  and  occupied  several  hours  writing  what  he 
said  was  an  account  of  that  terrible  disaster  for  the  Herald. 
After  this  he  disappeared  again,  and  I  next  saw  him  last  fall 
when  he  went  off  to  work,  as  he  said,  for  Garfield.  Shortly 
afterwards  I  met  him  on  the  street,  and  he  was  then  certainly 
better  dressed  than  usual.  To  me  he  always  appeared  like  a 
person  floating  round  taking  it  easy.  I  should  certainly  say  his 
mind  was  not  evenly  balanced,  and  I  took  him  to  be  a  man  of 
indolent  habits.  At  different  times  when  he  came  up  here  he 
\\  ould  write  for  hours  together,  and  frequently  consulted  numer- 
ous books.  As  far  as  I  know  he  never  used  intoxicating  drinks, 
and  in  fact  I  understood  he  used  to  lecture  on  temperance. 
Sometimes  he  would  borrow  small  amounts  of  me,  but  these  he 
invariably  repaid.  I  learned  from  him  that  he  belonged  to  a 
free  love  community,  but  that  was  prior  to  October,  1873.  I 
can't  remember  what  sect  it  was." 

Mr.  McBurney,  the  secretary  of  the  association,  who  was 
found  at  his  desk,  said  to  the  reporter :  "  I  am  certain  Guiteau's 
mind  was  not  properly  balanced.  I  was  astonished  one  day  on 
opening  a  book  which  was  sent  to  me  to  find  his  name  attached 
to  it  as  author.  It  was  on  religious  subjects,  but  it  was  such  a 
half-crazy  medley  that  I  threw  it  aside,  and  to-day  when  I 
looked  for  it  failed  to  find  it,  so  I  cannot  tell  you  its  title.  He 
\vas  never  a  member  of  the  association,  but  used  our  library, 


120  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

just  as  you-  or  anybody  else  might  do  who  conforms  to  our 
rules." 

The  lady  who  occupied  the  house  No.  31  East  Twenty-second 
Street,  where  Guiteau  claims  to  have  lived  in  1873,  has  removed 
to  the  country,  and  therefore  no  information  could  be  obtained 
respecting  him  from  that  source.  The  list  of  the  saved  from 
the  wreck  of  the  ill-fated  steamer  Narragansett  does  not  include 
the  name  of  Guiteau. 

A  member  of  Calvary  Baptist  Church  said  of  him : 
"  When  I  read  the  first  despatches  this  morning,  I  doubted 
whether  I  knew  the  assassin ;  but  subsequent  despatches  assured 
me.  He  is  the  same  Charles  Guiteau  who  came  to  this  city  in 
the  summer  of  1871  with  strong  letters  of  recommendation  from 
the  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Chicago  introducing 
and  recommending  him  to  our  church.  On  the  strength  of 
these  he  was  received  into  fellowship.  He  said  that  he  had 
lived  in  New  York,  and  been  a  member  of  the  Rev.  Henry  Ward 
Beecher's  church,  but  that  on  taking  a  wife  in  Chicago  he 
became  a  member  of  her  church.  After  Guiteau  had  been  some 
time  in  this  city  his  wife  called  upon  our  pastor,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Robert  S.  MacArthur,  and  said  that  her  husband  was  a  practis- 
ing lawyer,  and  needed  $100  pending  the  decision  in  an  impor- 
tant case.  Mr.  MacArthur  lent  the  $100,  and  that's  the  last  he 
ever  saw  of  it.  Guiteau  moved  to  Brooklyn  that  autumn,  but 
continued  to  attend  our  church  and  to  have  a  sitting  in  it,  and 
occasionally  he  attended  our  social  meetings.  Then  he  moved 
back  to  this  city,  and  in  1876  or  1877  his  wife  visited  our  pas- 
tor and  recited  a  story  of  wrongs  that  satisfied  us  that  her  hus- 
band was  a  thoroughly  disreputable,  bad  man.  The  story  of  his 
immoralities  is  about  as  bad  as  such  a  tale  could  be.  His  licen- 
tiousness and  his  brutality  had  driven  Mrs.  Guiteau  to  institute 
proceedings  for  divorce.  She  is  a  good,  true  woman,  and  had 
borne  all  that  a  human  being  could  bear,  and  then  she  appealed 
to  the  courts.  A  decree  of  divorce  was  granted.  We  cited  him 
to  appear  before  a  committee  of  discipline,  and  he  appeared  in 
response  to  the  citation.  He  acknowledged  his  gross  immor- 
ality and  professed  penitence,  at  the  same  time  beseeching  us 
not  to  discipline  him  publicly,  as  such  an  act  might  ruin  him. 
But  his  penitence  seemed  to  be  feigned :  we  more  than  doubted 
his  sincerity.  Therefore  we  summoned  him  to  answer  a  charge 
of  gross  immorality,  but  on  the  evening  set  down  for  the  hear- 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  121 

Ing  he  did  not  appear,  and  he  was  unanimously  expelled  from 
Calvary  Baptist  Church. 

"  But  notwithstanding  he  had  proved  himself  an  incorrigibly 
bad  man  Guiteau  had  the  effrontery  not  long  after  his  ignomini- 
ous expulsion  from  our  church  to  send  for  Dr.  MacArthur  to 
intercede  for  him  in  Jefferson  Market  Police  Court.  Guiteau 
had  been  arrested  for  obtaining  money  under  false  pretences. 
The  magistrate  was  willing  to  deal  leniently  with  the  prisoner  if 
our  pastor  desired  it;  but  Mr.  MacArthur  said  that  Guiteau's 
career  had  been  such  that  he  could  not  conscientiously  interfere 
to  save  him  from  prison. 

"The  next  I  heard  of  Guiteau  was  last  fall,  when  he  was 
advertised  as  one  of  the  speakers  at  the  political  meetings.  As 
long  ago  as  when  he  was  expelled  from  our  church  we  had 
doubts  as  to  his  sanity,  and  I  can  readily  believe,  in  view  of  the 
life  he  has  led,  that  he  is  insane." 


NEVER  A  CONSUL. 

Frank  W.  Potter,  late  United  States  Consul  at  Marseilles, 
said :  "  No  such  person  as  Guiteau  ever  was  United  States  Con- 
sul at  Marseilles.  The  only  consuls  at  that  port  now  living  are 
George  W.  Van  Horn,  of  Wisconsin,  from  1861  to  1867 ;  Mar- 
tin F.  Conway,  of  Kansas,  from  1867  to  1869  ;  Milton  M.  Price, 
of  Iowa,  from  1869  to  1873 ;  Frank  W.  Potter,  of  New  Jersey, 
from  1873  to  1878,  and  J.  B.  Gould,  of  Massachusetts,  from 
1878  to  1881.  Horace  N.  Taylor,  of  Michigan,  was  recently 
appointed  to  succeed  Gould.  It  is  more  likely  that  the  assassin 
was  applicant  for  instead  of  an  occupant  of  the  Marseilles  con- 
sulate." 

Some  explicit  and  reliable  information  concerning  what  the 
police  would  called  the  "  pedigree"  of  the  would-be  assassin  of 
President  Garfield  was  furnished  by  Mr.  S.  D.  Phelps,  of  No.  112 
East  Thirty-seventh  Street,  New  York  city.  Mr.  Phelps,  whose 
office  is  in  the  Evening  Post  building,  and  who  is  well  known  at 
a  business  man  in  this  city,  was  formerly  Charles  J.  Guiteau's 
employer,  and  tells  his  story  as  follows: 

"  Guiteau — Charles  J.  Guiteau,  I  mean" — said  Mr.  Phelps, 

"  was  formerly  a  clerk  in  the  employ  of  the  law  firm  of  Reynolds 

&  Phelps,  of  which  I  was  the  junior  member.     We  had  our 

office  in  the  Mercantile  Building,  so  called,  in  La  Salle  Street, 

6 


122  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

Chicago,  just  opposite  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  Building, 
in  1867-68.  Guiteau  was  a  clerk  in  our  employ  during  a  part 
of  those  years,  though  I  am  unable  now  to  say  whether  he  was 
employed  by  General  Reynolds  or  myself.  I  don't  remember  now 
what  his  references  were  or  how  we  came  to  employ  him.  All 
I  know  is  that  he  was  engaged  either  by  my  partner  or  myself,  and 
that  he  had  a  desk  in  our  office.  He  was  employed  in  the  usual 
duties  of  a  law  clerk.  After  he  had  been  in  our  employ  for  a  con- 
siderable time — I  cannot  say  just  how  long,  though  it  was  in  the 
years  I  have  mentioned — I  came  to  know  something  of  his  past 
history,  though  not  very  much,  by  the  fact  that  he  consulted  me 
in  regard  to  the  possibility  of  his  recovering  a  considerable  sum 
of  money  that  he  had  invested  or  placed  in  the  Oneida  Com- 
munity. 

"  I  learned  by  the  facts  that  he  disclosed  to  me  in  this  con- 
sultation that  he  had  been  a  member  of  the  Oneida  Community 
for  a  considerable  time,  and  that  he  had,  as  I  understood  the 
case,  invested  some  $16,000  in  the  funds  of  the  Community. 
That  is  the  amount  as  I  recollect  it,  though  I  can't  say  that  I 
am  certain  about  the  amount. 

"  He  told  me  that  the  male  novitiate  in  that  Community,  that 
is  to  say  the  younger  male  members,  had  to  serve  a  term  of  two 
or  three  years  of  pupilage  before  they  could  have  any  communi- 
cation with  the  female  members,  and  that  it  was  during  this 
novitiate  that  he  had  invested  money  that  he  had  in  the  Com- 
munity. He  was  enthusiastic  about  the  matter  at  first  and  he 
remained  with  the  Community,  as  he  stated  the  circumstances  to 
me,  some  two  or  three  years ;  but  not  being  advanced  as  rapidly 
as  he  thought  he  ought  to  be  in  consideration  of  his  individual 
merits  he  left  and  started  into  the  legal  profession  in  his  own 
fashion.  After  he  had  deserted  the  Community  he  made  some 
effort  to  get  his  money  back,  but  on  his  own  statement  of  the 
transactions  as  he  made  it  to  me  I  advised  him  that  he  would 
never  be  able  to  recover  the  money  under  the  terms  of  the 
agreement  he  made  in  paying  it,  and  so  far  as  I  know  he  never 
did  recover  the  money  or  any  part  of  it. 

"When  he  came  into  our  office  he  knew  but  little  law, 
although  he  had  read  some  textbooks.  If  I  remember  right  he 
was  tolerably  well  informed  concerning  a  part  of  Blackstone. 
While  he  was  with  us  he  performed  the  ordinary  duties  that  fall 
to  the  lot  of  the  clerk  of  a  law  firm,  such  as  copying  papers,  etc. 


PRESIDENT  QARFIELD.  123 

He  had  not  been  with  us  long,  however,  before  it  was  observed 
— and  it  was  a  significant  circumstance — that  he  never  could 
apply  himself  properly  to  anything  that  was  put  in  his  charge. 
He  was  always  unreliable.  I  cannot  say,  even  now,  that  he  was 
a  lunatic  or  an  idiot,  but  there  was  something  wrong  about  him, 
and  I  don't  know  that  I  can  express  it  any  better  than  by  say- 
ing that  there  was  a  screw  loose  somewhere,  or  perhaps  I  ought 
to  say  that  he  was  weakminded.  I  wouldn't  undertake  to  make 
a  diagnosis  of  his  case,  but  it  was  certain  that,  as  the  Scotch  say, 
he  was  '  not  all  there.' 

"  After  he  had  been  with  us  about  one  and  a  half  or  two 
years  his  services  were  dispensed  with.  I  don't  think  you  had 
better  say  that  he  was  discharged — his  services  were  dispensed 
with  is  a  better  phrase.  We  didn't  care  to  keep  him  in  the  office 

any  longer.  In  short  he  wasn't  worth  a ••'.  After  he  left  us 

I  saw  him  occasionally  at  intervals  for  several  years.  I  was  con- 
nected with  the  Chicago  Inter-Ocean,  and  during  the  time  that 
I  was  on  that  paper  he  came  to  see  me  on  a  number  of  different 
occasions,  telling  me  that  he  had  concocted  a  scheme  to  buyout 
the  Inter-Ocean  for  $500,000,  and  by  controlling  the  policy  of 
that  paper  to  run  the  politics  of  the  entire  country.  I  paid 
only  a  little  heed  to  his  stories,  for  I  had  reason,  from  my  pre- 
vious knowledge  of  him,  to  believe  that  he  was  weakminded, 
and  that  what  he  said  was  not  to  be  relied  upon.  I  got  that 
impression  in  the  law  office,  and  his  conversation  when  he  called 
on  me  in  the  office  of  the  Inter-  Ocean  confirmed  it.  His  visits 
after  a  time  became  so  annoying  that  I  instructed  the  office  boy 
to  say  to  him  whenever  he  should  call  that  I  was  not  in.  I  don't 
know  that  I  can  say  why  I  thought  he  was  unreliable,  except- 
ing that  there  was  a  certain  look  about  his  eye  that  suggested  it, 
and  the  general  impression  that  one  obtained  by  talking  with 
him  was  that  of  a  man  who  was.  non  compos  mentis.  I  can't 
describe  it  any  better,  but  everybody  will  understand  the  mat- 
ter if  you  state  it  in  that  way. 

"During  the  years  1874-75  he  was  connected,  I  believe,  with 
the  Chicago  press  in  some  capacity,  though  I  cannot  say  with 
what  paper  or  in  what  capacity  he  worked.  I  can't  exactly 
locate  him,  but  I'm  certain  he  was  at  that  time  a  newspaper  man. 
After  that  I  never  saw  him  until  I  met  him  two  or  three  years 
ago  in  Newport.  I  met  him  afterwards  in  the  Fifth  Avenue 
Hotel  in  this  city,  and  he  told  me  that  he  had  either  just  re- 


124  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

ceived,  or  was  just  about  to  receive,  a  government  appointment 
to  some  position  in  France.  I  do  not  know  certainly  whether 
he  ever  had  such  a  position  or  not,  but  I  have  the  impression 
that  he  did.  He  said  he  had  been  taking  considerable  part 
in  political  matters,  and  that  this  was  the  reward  he  had 
received  or  was  about  to  receive  from  President  Hayes,  or  the 
administration  under  President  Hayes.  I  had  known  before 
that,  and  I  told  him  so,  that  he  had  been  prominent  in  stumping 
the  State  of  Illinois  for  Hayes,  and  that  he  had  taken  consider- 
able part  in  the  canvass  outside  of  the  State  of  Illinois.  I  did 
not  prolong  the  conversation  because  I  had  no  confidence  in  his 
prospects  as  he  had  stated  them  to  me.  I  really  thought  that 
he  did  not  know  what  he  was  talking  about,  though  I  have  the 
impression  that  he  did  get  some  such  appointment  as  he  talked 
about,  and,  if  I  am  not  wrong,  he  was  Consul  at  Marseilles. 

"  Two  or  three  years  after  this  I  met  him  several  times  on  the 
streets  of  New  York.  Perhaps  this  was  three  or  four  years  ago, 
but  I  didn't  care  to  talk  with  him  when  I  met  him,  because  I 
did  not  think  his  talk  was  worthy  of  any  attention.  Since  then 
I  haven't  heard  from  him,  and  I  think  it  must  have  been  as  long 
ago  as  1878  or  1877  that  I  saw  him  last." 

Being  asked  for  a  personal  description  of  Guiteau,  Mr.  Phelps 
said  that  he  was  now  about  thirty-three  or  thirty-four  years  old, 
and  about  five  feet  eight  inches  in  height.  Judging  from  his 
appearance  when  he  last  saw  him  he  was  probably  about  145 
pounds  in  weight.  When  Mr.  Phelps  last  saw  him  he  had  a 
short  cropped  black  beard.  His  mouth  was  large  and  his  eyes 
were  large  and  dark  and  very  restless.  He  had  the  trick,  so 
often  associated  with  guilt,  of  never  looking  an  interlocutor  in 
the  eye,  and  was  extraordinarily  nervous  in  all  his  movements. 
In  manner  he  was  preoccupied  and  was  never  able  to  confine 
himself  to  a  single  subject  in  conversation,  but  jumped  from  one 
subject  to  another  in  an  erratic  manner.  He  was  a  single  man 
and  it  was  understood  belonged  to  a  good  family  in  Baltimore. 
While  he  was  in  the  office  of  Reynolds  &  Phelps  he  was  con- 
stantly in  receipt  of  remittances  from  Baltimore. 

Guiteau  was  well  known  to  many  persons  who  frequented 
the  various  Republican  headquarters  in  this  city  during  the  last 
campaign.  He  came  to  this  city  at  that  time  from  Chicago, 
and  registered  at  the  Coleman  House.  He  claimed  to  be  em- 
ployed in  the  State  Committee  rooms,  and  secured  credit  in 


: 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  125 

number  of  places  on  the  strength  of  that  claim.  He  vainly 
endeavored  to  get  Chairman  Jewell,  of  the  National  Committee, 
Chairman  Arthur,  of  the  State  Committee,  or  President  Mani- 
erre,  of  the  Republican  Central  Campaign  Club,  to  send  him 
out  as  a  campaign  speaker.  He  wrote  two  or  three  speeches  as 
specimens  of  what  he  could  do.  They  were  wild  and  disjointed 
and  showed  the  man  to  be  incapable  of  making  a  speech,  so  ho 
was  not  employed.  He  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  the  various 
headquarters,  and  although  somewhat  wild  in  his  appearance, 
no  one  regarded  him  as  anything  but  a  man  who  hoped  to  get 
office.  "If  he  is  insane,"  said  a  gentleman  last  night,  who 
knows  him  well,  "  there  is  a  good  deal  of  method  in  his  mad- 
ness ;  about  too  much  for  belief." 

In  the  course  of  the  campaign,  Mr.  Gildersleeve,  a  printer  of 
this  city,  who  was  doing  much  work  for  the  Republican  Na- 
tional Committee,  was  called  upon  by  Guiteau  with  letters  of 
introduction  and  recommendation  from  some  persons  at  the 
National  Committee  rooms.  He  had  a  speech  in  manuscript 
which  he  desired  put  in  type,  and  represented  that  the  com- 
mittee would  meet  the  expense.  Mr.  Gildersleeve  not  finding 
in  the  letters  definite  authorization  for  the  publication  hesitated 
and  examined  the  speech.  He  found  it  a  very  extravagant 
eulogy  of  General  Grant  and  his  friends,  but  Guiteau  said  that 
it  was  his  aim  by  that  means  to  draw  the  friends  of  Grant  to 
the  support  of  General  Garfield.  The  same  speech,  though  not 
printed  by  Mr.  Gildersleeve,  was,  it  is  believed,  delivered  more 
than  once  during  the  campaign. 

About  the  middle  of  March  last,  Guiteau  wrote  to  a  man  in 
this  city,  who  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Republican  Cen- 
tral Campaign  Club,  and  who  took  an  active  part  in  the  cam- 
paign of  last  year,  saying  that  he  had  been  promised  the 
position  of  Consul  at  one  of  the  Austrian  ports;  that  his  claims 
were  being  pressed  by  Senators  Logan  and  Conkling,  and  there 
was  no  doubt  of  his  appointment.  He  added  that  if  he  received 
the  position  he  would  appoint  the  man  to  whom  the  letter  was 
addressed  as  his  secretary.  The  recipient  of  the  letter  was  con- 
gratulating himself  on  his  good  luck,  when  he  received  another 
from  Guiteau  asking  for  the  loan  of  twenty  dollars,  promising 
to  repay  it  when  he  received  his  appointment  as  Consul.  This 
was  too  transparent  a  fraud  to  be  successful,  and  the  man  from 
whom  the  loan  was  solicited  was  conveniently  "short"  at  that  time. 


126  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

Guiteau  afterwards  sent  several  letters  and  postal  cards  de- 
nouncing this  man  as  "  no  gentleman"  for  declining  to  advance 
him  so  small  a  sum. 

H.  B.  Pool,  Librarian  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, told  a  Tribune  reporter  last  evening  that  he  had  known 
Guiteau  for  nearly  eight  years.  He  was  never  a  member  of  the 
Association,  but  often  went  there  to  read.  In  the  readers' 
register  is  his  signature  with  his  address,  "  Guiteau,  Chas.  J., 
No.  31  East  Twenty-second  Street,  October  20,  1879."  The 
day  after  the  disaster  to  the  steamer  Narragansett  last  summer, 
he  visited  the  library  and  told  Mr.  Pool  that  he  had  been  on 
the  steamer  that  was  struck,  but  that  he  was  not  afraid  for  he 
was  a  Christian,  and  knew  that  if  the  steamer  had  sunk  he  was 
prepared  to  die. 

A  few  weeks  before  the  last  November  election  Guiteau 
stated  that  he  was  going  to  work  for  Garfield  with  all  his  soul. 
He  did  not  go  to  the  Association  building  until  after  the 
election,  when  he  had  a  new  suit  of  clothes  and  seemed  to  have 
plenty  of  money.  He  then  said  he  was  going  to  Chicago  to 
study  law  ;  and  he  has  not  been  there  since. 

When  asked  as  to  Guiteau's  sanity,  Mr.  Pool  stated  that  he 
did  not  think  the  man  had  a  well-balanced  mind  ;  he  always  was 
just  going  to  do  something  wonderful,  but  never  seemed  to  do 
it.  He  was  very  quiet,  but  never  seemed  to  have  any  purpose 
in  life.  Previous  to  his  coming  to  New  York,  he  had  belonged 
to  a  Free-love  community,  but  had  left  that  sect,  and  did  not 
belong  to  any  church.  Inquiry  at  Guiteau's  former  boarding- 
house  in  Twenty-second  Street  revealed  nothing,  as  the  present 
family  has  lived  there  only  a  short  time,  and  knew  nothing  of 
the  persons  who  had  previously  occupied  the  house. 

When  Guiteau  came  to  this  city  several  years  ago  from 
Chicago,  his  wife,  whom  he  married  there,  was  with  him.  She 
is  described  as  an  estimable  woman.  Both  of  them  brought 
letters  from  a  prominent  pastor  of  a  Baptist  Church  in  Chicago, 
and  were  admitted  to  membership  in  the  Calvary  Baptist 
Church  in  Twenty -third  Street,  of  which  the  Rev.  Robert  S. 
MacArthur  is  pastor.  A  short  time  after  his  admission  to  the 
church  it  was  discovered  that  Guiteau  was  grossly  immoral, 
and  was  at  once  publicly  expelled  from  the  society.  It  is 
believed  by  those  who  knew  him  that  his  professions  of  religion 
were  made  in  order  to  advance  his  ends.  He  pretended  to 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  127 

practise  law,  but  was  never  known  to  have  clients  except  such 
as  he  could  pick  up  at  the  police  courts.  A  man  who  knew 
him  at  that  time  said  last  night  that  Guiteau  was  nothing  more 
than  a  confidence  man,  and  that  he  was  once  arrested  on  a 
charge  of  obtaining  money  under  false  pretences.  After  his 
release  from  confinement  in  the  old  Jefferson  Market  Police 
Court  prison,  he  brought  suit  against  one  of  the  daily  news- 
papers for  defamation  of  character.  By  this  suit  he  anticipated 
making  a  large  fortune.  Meanwhile  he  did  nothing  for  his 
wife's  support,  and  cruelty  being  added  to  neglect,  she  ob- 
tained a  divorce  from  him  on  the  ground  of  abandonment  and 
infidelity.  Some  time  after  his  arrest  Guiteau  removed  to 
Brooklyn,  where  he  had  lived  before  going  to  Chicago. 


HIS    BAD    NAME    AT   SARATOGA. 


SARATOGA,  N.  Y.,  July  2. — Guiteau  was  in  Saratoga  early  in 
the  Presidential  campaign,  and  advertised  as  follows  in  the 
Saratogian  :  "  Garfield  against  Hancock.  Charles  Guiteau,  of 
Illinois,  the  orator  from  the  West,  will  speak  at  the  Town  Hall, 
Saratoga,  Saturday,  July  10,  at  eight  P.M.  Admission  twenty- 
five  cents.  Let  the  people  turn  out  and  hear  an  able,  eloquent 
and  patriotic  address." 

The  meeting  never  came  off.  Guiteau  was  present  without 
an  audience.  He  therefore  "  skipped"  his  board  bill  and  the 
town  without  paying  for  the  hall  or  for  the  advertising.  The 
books  of  the  Saratogian  opened  this  account  at  the  time : 
"Charles  Guiteau,  July  1,  1880,  to  advertising  lecture  of  Gar- 
field-Hancock  daily,  three  dollars."  Across  the  face  of  this  the 
bookkeeper  had  long  ago  written  "  fraud." 

Judge  Anthony,  of  Chicago,  is  here,  and  states  that  Guiteau 
is  "  a  rattle-headed"  fellow,  who  was  a  laughing  stock  in  Chi- 
cago. His  explanation  of  the  action  is  that  Guiteau  became 
crazy  on  the  subject  of  office,  and  not  getting  one  was  soured, 
listened  to  the  loud  talk  of  the  Stalwarts  during  the  present 
controversy,  and  acted  out  his  own  inclinations. 

GUITEAU    KNOWN    AT    POUGHKEEPSIE. 

POUGHKEEPSIE,  N.  Y.,  July  2. — The  assassin  of  the  President, 
Charles  Guiteau,  was  in  this  city  in  July  last,  and  advertised  a 


128  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

lecture  on  the  political  situation,  on  the  evening  of  July  2,  one 
year  ago  to-day.  An  admission  fee  was  to  be  charged,  and  as 
people  would  not  pay  to  go  to  a  political  meeting  the  lecture  was 
not  delivered.  He  afterwards  wanted  to  be  engaged  as  a  speaker 
by  the  Republican  Committee,  but  the  leading  Republicans  here 
thought  his  mind  was  unsound  and  would  have  nothing  to  do 
with  him.  He  afterwards  was  announced  to  speak  at  other  places 
in  this  State. 


GUITEATJ  S    SERVICES    REJECTED. 

ALBANT,  July  2. — Thurlow  Weed  Barnes,  of  the  Albany  Even- 
ing Journal,  who  was  chairman  of  the  County  Committee,  says 
that  Guiteau  called  upon  him  last  October,  and  asked  for  a  chance 
to  speak  on  the  stump  for  the  Republican  National  ticket.  Mr. 
Barnes  questioned  him  closely  at  the  time,  and  not  liking  his 
looks,  told  E.  M.  Johnson,  secretary  of  the  State  Committee,  that 
he  believed  Guiteau  to  be  a  fraud. 


GENERAL  GRANT'S  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Guiteau   an   Applicant  for   the   Austrian  Mission — Soliciting 
Grants  Influence. 

"  I  met  Guitean  in  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  at  the  close  of  the  last 
Presidential  campaign.  He  wanted  me  to  sign  a  paper  recom- 
mending him  as  a  proper  person  to  appoint  as  Minister  to  Aus- 
tria. I  knew  nothing  about  him ;  but  Col.  Frederick  Grant,  my 
son,  told  me  that  Guiteau  was  a  lawyer  in  Chicago,  and  was  sup- 
posed to  be  half  crazy.  I  subsequently  heard  that  he  had  deliv- 
ered some  speeches  in  favor  of  the  election  of  Presidents  Hayes 
and  Garfield.  He  was  no  doubt  crazy  when  he  shot  the  Presi- 
dent, and  I  attach  no  political  importance  to  his  act  under  these 
circumstances.  It  was  the  act  of  a  cowardly  assassin  who  had 
been  disappointed  in  his  search  for  office.  Guiteau  evidently 
believed  that  he  was  a  man  of  great  importance  to  the  Republi- 
can party,  and  the  defeat  of  his  aims  must  have  unbalanced  his 
mind.  He  told  me  that  he  was  engaged  to  a  young  woman 
worth  one  million  dollars,  and  that  he  should  obtain  the  appoint- 
ment he  was  looking  for  if  I  would  join  Henry  Ward  Beecher 
and  others  in  seeking  it  for  him.  I  refused  to  sign  his  paper.  I 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELb.  129 

told  my  servant  not  to  allow  him  to  enter  my  parlors.  He  sub- 
sequently forced  his  way  in  one  day,  but  I  refused  to  talk  with 
him  and  dismissed  him  speedily.  I  regret  this  sad  occurrence 
from  the  bottom  of  my  heart." 

A    SPECIMEN    DEAD-BEAT    LECTURE. 

Newark,  N.  J.,  also  furnishes  a  characteristic  reminiscence  of 
the  assassin,  Charles  J.  Guiteau.  He  visited  there  in  March,  1878, 
announcing  himself  as  a  lawyer,  an  orator,  and  a  lecturer.  He 
advertised  in  the  local  papers  as  follows: 

NEWARK   OPERA   HOUSE. 

"Is  THERE  A  HELL?" 
CHARLES  J.    GUITEAU, 

A  Chicago  lawyer  and  orator  of  great  power,  will  answer  this 
question,  and  review 

ROBERT  G.   INGERSOLL, 

AT  THE 

NEWARK  OPERA  HOUSE,  Friday,  March  8,  at  eight  o'clock. 
Admission,  10  cents ;  reserved  seats,  15  cents.    For  sale  at  Dennis 

&   CO. '8. 

E^"  The  Boston  papers  speak  of  this  lecture  as  a  masterly  effort 
full  of  ideas. 

On  the  day  after  the  "  lecture"  the  Newark  Daily  Journal 
gave  the  following  account  of  it  and  the  lecturer: 

"IS    THERE    A    HELL?" 

Fifty  deceived  people  of  the  opinion  that  there  ought  to  be. 

The  man  Charles  J.  Guiteau,  if  such  really  is  his  name,  who 
calls  himself  an  eminent  Chicago  lawyer,  has  fraud  and  imbecility 
plainly  stamped  upon  his  countenance,  and  it  is  not  surprising 
that  his  "  lecture"  in  the  Opera  House  last  evening  did  not  leave 
a  pleasant  impression  on  the  minds  of  the  fifty  people  who 
assembled  to  hear  him  reply  to  Bob  Ingersoll's  talk  on  hell. 

His  lecture  was  a  wonderful  production  of  genius.  It  consisted 
of  the  averment  that  the  second  coming  of  Christ  occurred  in 
the  year  70,  when  Jerusalem  was  destroyed ;  interesting  readings 
«* 


130  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

from  the  book  of  Genesis,  and  the  prediction  that  the  world 
would  soon  come  to  an  end. 

Although  the  impudent  scoundrel  had  talked  only  fifteen 
minutes,  he  suddenly  perorated  brilliantly  by  thanking  the 
audience  for  their  attention  and  bidding  them  good  night.  Before 
the  astounded  fifty  had  recovered  from  their  amazement,  or  the 
half  dozen  bill  collectors  who  were  waiting  for  an  interview  with 
the  lecturer  had  comprehended  the  situation,  the  latter  had  fled 
from  the  building  and  escaped.  He  is  supposed  to  be  a  first 
cousin  of  the  spiritualistic  fraud  who  played  the  same  game  in 
New  Institute  Hall  last  spring. 

It  was  ascertained  that  the  notices  Guiteau  exhibited  as  having 
appeared  in  the  Boston  papers  were  fabrications. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  131 


THE  FEELING    THROUGHOUT  THE 
COUNTRY. 

IN  NEW  YORK  CITY. 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  SHOOTING  RECEIVED  WITH  HORROR  AND 
SADNESS SCENES  ON  THE  STREETS  AND  IN  HOTEL  CORRI- 
DORS— HOW  THE  PARTICULARS  OF  THE  AFFAIR  WERE  GIVEN 
TO  THE  PUBLIC. 

NOT  since  the  gloomy  15th  of  April,  1865,  when  the  news  of 
the  death  of  the  martyred  President,  Abraham  Lincoln,  was 
received,  has  this  city  been  the  scene  of  so  much  excitement, 
mingled  with  heartfelt  mourning,  as  yesterday.  At  10  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  just  when  the  active  business  of  the  day  was 
beginning,  and  when  the  down-town  streets  were  filled  with 
merchants  and  business  men,  the  first  despatch  announcing  that 
President  Garfield  had  been  shot  in  the  depot  at  Washington 
was  received.  It  was  a  somewhat  indefinite  message,  but  gave 
the  impression  that  the  President  had  been  killed.  In  an 
incredibly  short  time  the  terrible  news  had  spread  throughout 
the  business  part  of  the  community  down  town,  and  alarm  and 
consternation  were  stamped  on  every  face.  The  story  seemed 
so  preposterous  at  first  that  those  who  heard  it  refused  to  be- 
lieve it,  and  set  it  down  as  a  canard.  President  Garfield's  life 
had  been  of  such  a  character  that  it  seemed  almost  impossible 
for  him  to  have  made  any  personal  enemies,  and  the  notion 
that  he  had  been  murdered  as  a  political  measure  could  not  be 
entertained  for  a  moment.  Scores  of  men  hurried  to  the  West- 
ern Union  Telegraph  office,  hoping  that  the  news  would  be 
found  false.  They  were  met  there  by  a  sad  confirmation  of  the 
despatch,  although  they  learned  that  the  President  was  not  dead, 
and  that  hopes  of  his  recovery  were  entertained  by  Surgeon- 
General  Bliss  and  the  other  physicians  in  attendance  upon  him. 
These  hopes  were  something  to  lean  upon  for  a  while,  and  men 


132  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

went  about  their  business  as  usual ;  but  faces  were  clouded  with 
fear,  and  there  were  no  smiles  to  be  seen  among  the  thousands 
of  persons  who  thronged  the  lower  part  of  Broadway. 

Meantime  the  news  had  spread  with  remarkable  rapidity 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  city.  The  telegraph 
carried  it  to  all  the  principal  hotels,  and  from  these  common 
centres  of  information  it  radiated  to  the  smallest  side  streets  in 
the  crowded  tenement-house  districts.  Before  noon  there  was 
scarcely  a  man,  woman,  or  child  on  Manhattan  Island  who  did 
not  know  that  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  nation  had  been  shot 
and  probably  killed.  Groups  formed  on  the  sidewalks  and  dis- 
cussed the  terrible  news  excitedly.  In  the  hotels  and  the  clubs, 
in  the  parks  and  in  the  saloons,  wherever  there  was  room  and 
opportunity  for  men  to  gather  together,  they  assembled  in 
crowds  and  talked  over  the  tragedy  which  had  been  enacted  at 
the  capital  of  the  nation.  But  little  of  the  details  of  the  terri- 
ble crime  were  known  at  this  time,  and  speculation  had  full 
swing,  not  only  in  debating  upon  the  probable  result  of  the 
attack  on  the  President,  but  in  seeking  some  plausible  motive 
for  the  act  of  the  assassin.  If  President  Gartield  should  die, 
Vice-President  Arthur  would  become  the  executive  of  the 
nation,  and  the  effect  of  his  accession  to  the  power  and  patron- 
age of  the  executive  office  was  the  subject  of  grave  discussion 
among  the  business  men  of  the  community.  Merchants  were 
alarmed  at  the  possibilities  involved  in  the  death  of  President 
Garfield.  On  the  whole,  however,  great  confidence  was  dis- 
played in  the  innate  strength  of  our  popular  institutions.  "  It 
seems,"  said  one  prominent  merchant,  "  that  we  are  adopting 
the  system  of  the  Russian  Nihilists  in  America,  but  it  won't 
work  here.  If  President  Garfield  dies  we  shall  go  on  the  same 
as  before,  only  we  shall  mourn  the  loss  of  a  pure  and  good 
patriot  at  the  head  of  the  state."  This  sentiment,  after  the 
first  shock  was  passed,  was  echoed  on  all  sides,  and  men  went 
about  their  business  with  sad  faces,  but  still  hopeful  that  the 
worst  to  be  feared  might  not  be  realized. 

At  11  o'clock  the  news  of  the  assault  upon  the  President  came 
slightly  more  in  detail,  and  with  the  absolute  knowledge  that 
President  Garfield  was  still  living,  and  that  Dr.  Bliss  gave  great 
hopes  of  his  recovery,  men  breathed  more  freely ;  but  still  there 
was  a  sad  and  subdued  look  upon  the  faces  of  all  as  they  passed 
in  the  street  or  met  in  the  public  places.  The  newspapers  were 


I>RWTJ)ENT  GARF1ELD.  133 

receiving  despatches  every  few  minutes,  and  as  fast  as  they  came 
from  Washington  they  were  posted  on  the  bulletin  boards,  so  as 
to  give  the  earliest  possible  information  of  any  change  in  the 
President's  condition  to  the  anxious  people.  Park  Row  became 
the  centre  of  attraction,  and  the  sidewalks  and  streets  in  front 
of  the  different  newspaper  offices  were  soon  crowded  with  men, 
who  stood  in  the  broiling  sun  and  forgot  the  heat  in  their  eager- 
ness to  hear  the  latest  news  from  Washington.  The  throngs 
became  so  great  between  11  and  12  o'clock  that  six  policemen 
were  stationed  at  each  office  to  keep  the  passage-way  clear  for 
pedestrians.  The  men  were  very  quiet  and  orderly,  and  talked 
in  low  tones  of  the  tragedy  and  its  probable  and  possible  effects. 
The  excitement  was  too  deep  to  display  itself  in  the  ordinary 
noisy  way,  and  the  sadness  of  the  people  too  genuine  and  heart- 
felt to  expend  itself  in  loud  talk.  There  were  men  of  all  shades 
of  political  opinion  in  the  crowds  which  surged  round  the  bul- 
letins; but  they  all  had  one  sentiment  in  common  upon  the 
great  crime  which  had  been  committed,  and  the  invectives 
heaped  upon  the  murderer  were  bitter  and  terrible.  Broadway 
at  its  junction  with  Park  Row  was  filled  with  a  crowd  so  dense 
that  a  dozen  policemen  were  required  to  furnish  a  passage  for 
vehicles,  and  there  was  momentary  danger  of  somebody  being 
run  over  and  killed.  Drug  stores  and  hotels  also  had  their  bul- 
letins, and  those,  too,  were  crowded  with  men  anxious  to  hear 
the  latest  news  from  the  President. 

At  noon  extras  appeared,  and  the  newsboys  and  girls  pushed 
their  way  into  the  throngs  around  the  bulletin  boards,  and  flew 
up  town  as  fast  as  the  elevated  trains  could  carry  them.  The 
demand  for  the  papers  was  greater  than  the  supply,  and  the 
boys  sold  out  their  stock  as  fast  as  they  could  peddle  the  papers 
out.  Very  little  change  was  made,  as  people  were  too  anxious 
to  read  the  news  to  bother  the  boys  for  the  change  of  a  nickel 
or  a  dime.  The  papers  were  soon  in  everybody's  hand,  and  the 
whole  city  was  reading  the  meagre  details  of  the  tragedy  which 
had  been  telegraphed  up  to  noon.  Nearly  every  passenger  in 
the  horse-cars  had  a  paper,  and  men  edged  their  way  through 
the  crowds  in  the  street  reading  the  few  lines  which  had  come 
from  Washington.  The  information  given  in  these  early  de- 
spatches was  very  brief,  but  it  was  of  a  reassuring  nature.  The 
President  had  been  removed  to  the  White  House,  was  conscious, 
and  the  doctors  thought  that  he  might  survive,  while  G-uiteau, 


134  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

the  assassin,  was  in  jail  under  a  strong  guard.  The  hopes  held 
forth  by  this  news  were  eagerly  grasped  at  by  the  excited  multi- 
tude, and  all  began  to  feel  somewhat  reassured.  Despatches 
continued  to  be  received  every  few  minutes,  and  the  news  which 
they  contained  was  posted  on  the  bulletins  and  issued  in  extras 
during  the  entire  afternoon.  Up  to  three  o'clock  they  were 
favorable  to  the  recovery  of  the  President.  Postmaster-General 
James  telegraphed  to  the  Times  that  Dr.  Bliss  gave  great  hopes 
of  saving  the  life  of  President  Grarfield,  and  this  despatch,  when 
posted  on  the  bulletin  board,  was  accepted  by  the  throng  as 
almost  decisive  that  the  assassin's  bullet  had  not  reached  a  vital 
point. 

CALUMNY    BURIED. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  all  the  calumnies  of  the  campaign 
last  year  were  utterly  buried  and  forgotten,  and  a  warm  feeling 
of  affection  for  the  man  was  cherished  in  every  breast  animated 
with  the  common  instincts  of  humanity.  As  the  afternoon  wore 
on  the  crowds  about  the  bulletin  boards  increased  in  force  and 
eagerness,  until  it  became  necessary  to  send  several  details  of 
policemen  to  keep  the  sidewalks  clear  and  unobstructed.  Even 
then  there  was  some  difficulty  in  making  way  for  pedestrians, 
so  intensely  anxious  were  the  people  to  get  at  and  read  the  bul- 
letins as  they  came  thick  and  fast  from  Washington.  A  little 
after  two  o'clock  despatches  leaving  no  further  hopes  of  the 
President's  recovery  were  received,  and  the  excitement  rose  to 
fever  heat.  In  the  rotunda  of  the  Astor  House  several  groups 
of  politicians  were  assembled,  and  as  a  rule  their  criticism  of 
the  affair  in  Washington  was  confined  to  the  emphatic  expres- 
sion, "D dest  outrage  that  ever  was."  Here  and  there  some 

asinine  specimen  of  the  human  breed  attributed  the  catastrophe 
to  the  political  agitation  at  Albany  in  the  election  of  United 
States  senators,  and  went  so  far  as  to  hold  Conkling  and  Platt 
responsible  for  the  deed ;  but  the  great  mass  of  citizens,  when 
they  learned  the  full  particulars,  which  came  along  from  Wash- 
ington between  four  and  five  in  the  afternoon,  indicating  that 
the  assassin  had  no  political  or  pertinent  motive  whatever — that 
he  was  simply  a  plain  and  unadulterated  lunatic,  who  in  a  par- 
ticular mood  of  mind  would  shoot  any  man  who  was  the  occu- 
pant of  the  same  high  station  that  Garfield  filled — felt  that  there 
was  nothing  left  to  criticise ;  that  all  it  resolved  itself  into  was, 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  135 

that  a  crazy  man  met  the  President  of  the  United  States  at  a 
favorable  opportunity,  and  shot  him  in  his  unreasoning  delirium. 
All  along  Broadway  and  other  leading  streets  bulletins  an- 
nouncing the  tragic  occurrence  were  hung  up  outside  business 
stores,  and  the  whole  city  was  soon  aware  of  the  direful  pro- 
ceeding. Men  in  the  rotunda  of  the  Astor  House,  who  were 
political  opponents  of  Garfield,  spoke  in  the  most  kindly 
possible  strain  about  him.  One  who  formerly  held  a  prominent 
position  in  the  city  government  said,  "  This  thing  makes  my 
heart  bleed.  No  matter  what  Garfield  was  politically  or  any 
other  way,  he  was  a  splendid  specimen  of  American  manhood. 
He  was  in  the  prime  of  life  and  health,  and  married  to  a  most 
superior  woman.  Think  of  that  woman's  grief ;  think  of  her 
children's  grief ;  think  of  the  grief  of  a  whole  nation,  who 
hoped,  despite  all  the  low,  sneering  twaddle  of  the  politicians, 
to  enjoy  four  years  of  unexampled  prosperity  under  his  admin- 
istration. It  is  the  saddest  tragedy,  every  way  you  take  it,  that 
was  ever  perpetrated  on  American  soil."  Much  talk  like  this 
prevailed  in  the  Astor  House. 


WHAT    MAYOK    GRACE    SAID. 

Mayor  Grace  felt  profoundly  shocked  on  receipt  of  the  news 
from  Washington.  He  said :  "  I  found  it  difficult  to  account 
for  the  motive  that  could  have  induced  such  a  crime.  Certainly 
President  Garfield  was  not  the  type  of  man  to  provoke  such  a 
vindictive  outrage.  He  was  popular  with  men  of  both  parties, 
and  his  death  will  be  universally  deplored.  Yet,  from  the 
strange  political  happenings  that  have  been  recently  occurring  in 
Albany  and  elsewhere,  nothing  is  apt  to  surprise  people.  The  late 
event  at  the  State  capital  is  quite  as  bewildering  as  the  news  just 
received  from  Washington,  and  indicates  that  there  is  something 
rotten  in  the  political  and  moral  system  of  the  whole  country. 
God  has  conferred  great  blessings  on  this  country,  but  there 
appears  to  be  little  disposition  to  thank  him  for  the  fact.  The 
rush  in  every  direction  appears  to  be  entirely  after  material  things, 
to  the  total  neglect  of  the  higher  and  more  spiritual  necessities 
of  men,  and  no  wonder  that  the  country  is  visited  with  disasters 
like  this." 


136  THE  ASSASSINATION  Of 


EXCITED  THRONGS  AT  THE  BULLETIN  BOARDS. 

Excited  throngs  congregated  up  to  a  late  hour  in  the  evening 
in  front  of  the  bulletin  boards,  anxiously  scanning  the  despatches 
as  they  were  received  and  placed  in  a  conspicuous  position. 
These  despatches  were  sufficiently  contradictory  to  be  confusing 
and  exasperating.  At  one  time  it  was  confidently  announced 
that  the  President's  injuries  were  not  serious,  and  that  his  pulse 
and  temperature  were  normal,  that  the  doctor  was  in  attendance, 
and  that  the  balls  would  soon  be  extracted  without  danger  to  the 
patient.  Another  account  stated  that  he  was  suffering  from 
collapse,  and  no  hopes  were  entertained  of  his  recovery.  These 
conflicting  reports  produced  alternate  feelings  of  hope  and  de- 
spondency in  the  breasts  of  the  anxious'and  expectant  multitude. 
At  one  time  the  crowds  would  look  reassured  and  confident, 
words  of  encouragement  and  hope  would  be  interchanged,  and 
the  deep-seated  gloom  that  rested  on  every  face  would  be  tem- 
porarily dispelled.  Yes,  the  President  would  be  spared  to  the 
country  after  all ;  the  sanguinary  and  cowardly  designs  of  the 
would-be  assassin  would  be  frustrated.  Congratulations  there- 
upon would  be  interchanged,  and  the  restless  assemblage  would 
begin  to  melt  away.  The  next  moment  a  heated-looking  courier 
would  make  his  appearance  bearing  a  sheet  of  paper.  That  was 
the  signal  for  those  in  the  street  to  crowd  forward  those  who 
held  a  closer  and  more  advantageous  position  on  the  sidewalk. 
Every  one  wanted  to  ascertain  without  a  moment's  loss  of  time 
the  latest  change  in  the  President's  condition.  A  low  murmur 
of  pent-up  passion  and  indignation  greeted  the  posting  of  the 
despatch,  which  contained  the  information  that  the  President  was 
in  a  precarious  condition.  Men  could  not  believe  that  he  would 
die.  Why  should  the  Chief  Executive  of  the  nation — a  man, 
too,  of  amiable  traits — be  ruthlessly  shot  down  and  slain,  with- 
out warning  or  provocation,  in  the  honeymoon  of  his  administra- 
tion, so  to  speak,  and  at  a  time  when  the  country  was  enjoy- 
ing profound  peace  and  the  greatest  prosperity  ?  While  these 
feelings  were  predominant,  the  general  excitement  would  be 
increased  to  the  straining  point  by  another  bulletin  setting  forth 
that  death  had  actually  put  an  end  to  his  sufferings.  Then  the 
fierce  denunciation  that  honest  citizens  heaped  upon  the  head 
of  the  assassin  would  find  vent  in  a  vehement  shout  of  rage, 


PRESIDENT  QARFIELD.  137 

and  men  would  walk  away  with  darkened  brows  and  clinched 
teeth,  muttering  threats  of  vengeance. 


SCANNINO   THE    DESPATCHES. 

A  group  of  excited  persons  drew  a  large  audience  in  front  of 
the  bulletin  boards,  while  they  eagerly  commented  upon  the 
character  of  the  despatches  received.  "  It  has  come  to  a  pretty 
pass,"  said  one,  who,  by  common  consent,  seemed  to  be  regarded 
as  spokesman,  "  when  the  chosen  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  nation 
is  shot  down  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin  !  Is  it  not  enough  that 
in  our  day  and  generation,  in  this  boasted  nineteenth  century 
civilization,  we  should  have  one  martyred  President?  Is  this 
country  to  become  Cossack  in  its  methods  of  political  warfare  ? 
It  will  not  be  long  until  it  can  be  said  of  us,  as  it  has  been  of 
Russia,  that  ours  is  a  government  tempered  with  assassination. 
We  must  stamp  out  such  miscreants,  if  any  exist.  Whoever  is 
guilty  of  this  terrible  deed  must  pay  the  penalty  for  it  with  his 
life.  No  mercy  must  be  shown  to  traitors  or  assassins;  a  terri- 
ble example  must  be  made  of  the  miscreant,  whether  the  Presi- 
dent live  or  die,  who  has  produced  such  a  shock  to  the  moral 
and  humane  conscience  of  every  honest,  self-respecting  and  God- 
fearing man." 

These  remarks,  delivered  with  vehement  declamation,  were 
applauded  by  all  present.  The  popular  mind  was  worked  up  to 
the  highest  pitch  of  frenzy.  The  news  of  the  shooting,  so  wan- 
ton, so  deliberate,  and  so  atrocious,  for  the  time  being  appalled 
and  terrified  the  nation.  All  classes  and  conditions  of  men, 
without  regard  to  party  proclivities,  Democrats  and  Republicans, 
Secessionists  and  Federalists  alike,  were  equally  concerned  in  the 
tragedy,  and  all  freely  and  vehemently  denounced  the  act. 

"  Thirteen  of  my  family,"  remarked  a  man  as  he  scanned  the 
bulletin  board,  "  served  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  only  five 
of  them  escaped  death  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  when  I  heard 
of  the  assassination  of  Lincoln  I  regarded  it  as  a  political  blun- 
der, if  nothing  worse ;  but  this  is  past  human  comprehension ; 
it  prostrates  one's  judgment  and  conscience;  it  is  the  greatest 
of  all  recorded  crimes ;  it  is  a  reproach  to  our  age  and  a  dis- 
grace to  our  institutions." 

Another  absorbing  phase  of  the  tragedy,  scarcely  subordinate 
in  public  interest  to  the  question  of  the  death  or  recovery  of  the 


138  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

victim  was,  "Who  was  the  perpetrator  of  the  savage  deed,  and 
what  the  motive  of  the  crime  ?"  The  wildest  reports  were  in 
circulation  during  a  portion  of  the  day  on  these  heads.  One 
was  that  the  slayer  was  actuated  by  jealous  motives,  another 
that  lunacy  was  the  prevailing  cause.  Others,  again,  urged  that 
the  Stalwart  fight  was  responsible  for  it  all ;  that,  in  fact,  it  was 
the  result  of  a  deep-laid  conspiracy.  The  few  foolish  people 
who  took  the  latter  view  of  the  case  reluctantly  relinquished 
their  prejudiced  theory  only  when  later  and  fuller  despatches 
showed  that  in  all  probability  the  assassin  was  demented,  and 
not  morally  responsible  for  his  awful  crime. 

When  the  announcement  was  made  that  Mrs.  Garfield  had 
arrived  in  Washington  and  conversed  with  her  husband,  who 
was  said  to  be  "  rapidly  sinking,"  a  groan  of  sorrow  and  despair 
escaped  from  the  bulletin  gazers.  At  half -past  eight  in  the  even- 
ing a  cheer  rent  the  air  in  front  of  the  Herald  office,  where 
thousands  had  congregated  in  feverish  expectation  to  catch  the 
very  latest  information  from  Washington.  This  expression  of 
gratitude  and  approval  was  occasioned  by  the  public  display  of 
the  following  despatch  :  "  The  President's  voice  is  stronger  and 
unimpaired.  He  converses  freely  with  those  near  him." 


AT    THE    HOTELS    AND    CLUB-ROOMS. 

The  scenes  in  and  around  the  leading  hotels  were  scarcely 
less  exciting.  Many  persons  who,  during  the  warmest  portions 
of  the  day,  had  stood  in  the  streets  anxiously  scanning  the  bul- 
letin boards,  late  in  the  afternoon  could  be  seen  in  the  corridor 
or  reading-room  of  some  hotel  still  discussing  the  tragical  situa- 
tion. The  Fifth  Avenue,  the  Brunswick,  the  Windsor,  Del- 
monico's,  and  other  similar  resorts  were  frequented  by  groups  of 
excited  citizens,  all  eagerly  discussing  the  one  overwhelming 
and  absorbing  subject.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  every  person — 
man,  woman,  and  child — in  the  city  talked  hardly  of  anything 
else.  People  who  had  read  their  morning  paper  in  mental 
quietude  and  proceeded  to  their  daily  avocations  untroubled 
and  undisturbed,  a  few  hours  later  were  thrown  into  the  pro- 
foundest  state  of  excitement.  The  news,  in  fact,  for  the  time 
being,  brought  all  sorts  of  business  to  a  standstill,  and  men 
otherwise  filled  with  personal  and  political  cares  and  responsi- 
bilities at  once  left  their  offices  and  homes,  and  sought  for 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  139 

further  particulars  of  the  tragedy  at  some  club-house  or  hotel. 
The  smallest  gossip  or  rumor  was  received  with  the  greatest 
interest.  The  man  who  had  talked  with  any  leading  political 
celebrity  was  sought  out  that  his  views  and  opinions  might  be 
received,  while  the  evening  papers  were  read  with  eagerness. 

At  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  several  gentlemen  were  engaged 
in  an  animated  conversation.  One  ventured  to  remark  that  he 
thought  the  dastardly  deed  would  be  the  means  of  cementing 
the  Republican  party.  Another  scouted  the  insinuation  that 
politics  had  anything  to  do  with  the  tragedy,  and  that  if  the 
victim  survived  his  injuries  party  lines  would  remain  unchanged. 
At  the  height  of  the  debate  a  man,  wearing  a  check  jumper, 
pushed  himself  eagerly,  to  the  front.  In  an  instant  all  eyes  were 
turned  upon  him.  "  Say,  mister,"  said  he  to  the  central  figure 
of  the  group,  "  what  was  the  man's — I  mean  the  scoundrel's 
name  that  did  it  ?  It  wasn't  Doty,  was  it  F'  There  was  some- 
thing almost  grotesque  in  the  wistful  expression  of  the  man's 
face  as  he  waited  for  an  answer. 

"  No,"  said  the  gentleman  addressed,  "  the  papers  say  his 
name  is  Guiteau."  "Thank  God  for  that!"  said  the  other 
rapturously,  "  for  my  own  name  is  Doty,  and  I  heard  that  the 
fellow  who  shot  the  President  was  called  Doty,  too.  If  he  was 
I'd  never  own  my  name  for  the  rest  of  my  life.  Thank  you, 
gentlemen,"  and  the  honest  fellow  walked  away,  looking 
happy. 

An  almost  similar  incident  occurred  in  the  rotunda  of  the 
Astor  House.  A  gentleman  was  scanning  the  Telegram,  and 
standing  close  to  the  cashier's  desk,  when  a  thick-set  citizen  with 
a  scowling  face  approached  and  asked : 

"  What's  the  news,  boss  ?  Is  it  true  what  they  tell  me  about 
the  President  ?" 

"  If  you  have  reference  to  his  being  shot,  I  am  afraid  it  is," 
was  the  answer.  The  gentleman  bent  his  gaze  upon  the  paper, 
when  his  interlocutor  again  inquired : 

"  They  say  that  he  was  shot  by  a  man  of  the  name  of  Dough- 
erty ;  is  that  true,  also  ?" 

"  I  think  not ;  the  papers  don't  state  so ;  the  assassin's  name 
is  said  to  be  Guiteau." 

"  That's  good  news  for  me,"  said  the  other  thankfully. 

"  Why  so ;  how  can  it  be  good  news  for  you  ?"  asked  the  gen- 
tleman, regarding  his  questioner  attentively. 


140  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

"  Oh,  Dougherty's  my  name,  and  I  wouldn't  like  to  have  it 
disgraced  like  that." 

"  But  what  made  you  think  that  Dougherty  was  the  name  of 
the  assassin  ?"  was  the  next  inquiry. 

"  I  was  told  so  hy  a  man  who  said  he  read  it  in  the  papers," 
waa  the  reply,  as  the  man  turned  and  walked  away. 


WALL    STREET    IN    A    FERMENT. 

The  news  created  much  excitement  in  Wall  Street  and  the 
neighborhood,  and  expressions  of  sympathy,  regret,  vengeance, 
consternation,  disgust,  and  general  sorrow  were  heard  on  all 
sides  in  the  throngs  that  crowded  the  different  exchanges  and 
other  public  institutions  of  business.  An  atmosphere  of  gloom 
pervaded  the  Custom  House. 

Collector  Merritt  was  deeply  agitated,  and  when  a  telegram 
came  announcing  that  the  President  was  sinking,  tears  started  in 
his  eyes.  He  said  that  he  had  received  many  callers,  all  ten- 
dering the  sincerest  sympathy  for  the  afflicted  family  in  Wash- 
ington. Consul-General  Archibald,  of  England,  called  very  soon 
after  the  news  of  the  assassination  had  arrived,  and  expressed 
his  own  personal  sorrow  and  that  of  his  government,"  and  he 
begged  to  extend  the  sympathy  of  the  entire  English  nation  to 
the  American  people  in  their  great  affliction.  Among  others 
who  called  during  the  day  were  Lieutenant  Mitchell,  of  the 
staff  of  the  Khedive  in  Egypt;  General  Anson  G.  McCook,  and 
Congressman  A.  A.  Parker.  The  Collector  said  that  he  did  not 
know  what  would  happen  in  the  case  of  President  Garfield's 
death  ;  it  was  sad  enough  to  think  of  his  present  suffering.  He 
had  not  been  invited  to  attend  Mr.  Field's  reception  to  the  Presi- 
dent, and  he  knew  nothing  about  Senator  Robertson's  future 
plans. 

Mr.  Thomas  C.  Acton,  chief  of  the  Assay  Office,  was  found 
reading  a  telegram  announcing  the  President  sinking.  "  This  is 
an  hour,"  he  said,  "when  political  intrigue  and  ambition  for 
office  should  cease." 

"  But  if  the  President  dies  his  place  must  be  filled,"  said  a 
reporter  of  the  Herald, 

11  Yes ;  General  Arthur  will  go  in.  He  has  a  good  head,  and 
if  he  be  wise,  as  I  think  he  is,  he  will  not  make  many  removals. 
The  Cabinet  will  undoubtedly  be  changed,  and  Conkling  may 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  141 

be  placed  at  the  head  of  the  State  Department  and  General 
Grant  be  made  Secretary  of  War.  With  Grant  in  the  War 
Office  Europe  would  need  no  hint  to  let  us  alone  and  treat  us 
with  unusual  courtesy.  With  Grant  as  our  Minister  of  War  his 
name  would  command  the  respect  of  all  the  fighting  nations  of 
Europe.  When  Grant  spoke  they  would  know  what  was  meant, 
and  his  wishes  would  be  respected.  The  time  for  a  great  states- 
man has  arrived,  and  a  real  statesman  will  be  very  careful  about 
making  any  serious  changes  in  the  government.  Elaine  will 
have  to  go  out ;  that  is  certain.  His  race  at  the  White  House 
is  run.  The  thing  to  do  now  is  to  heal  the  wounds  of  the  past, 
and  leave  political  feuds  to  be  buried  with  the  politicians." 

AMONG    THE    BROKERS. 

Rufus  Hatch  said  that  the  market  was  necessarily  affected  by 
the  news,  but  a  change  would  be  of  benefit  to  the  country. 
Stocks  were  from  forty  to  one  hundred  per  cent  too  high.  The 
death  of  one  or  twenty  men  would  not  seriously  affect  the  coun- 
try, for  it  was  prosperous.  "  The  people  and  the  country,"  he 
said,  "  are  all  right,  but  these  great  and  sad  events  teach  us  a 
great  lesson.  It  is  better  to  be  a  private  citizen  than  to  be  Van- 
derbilt  or  Jay  Gould.  We  will  survive  in  spite  of  Communistic 
assassinations.  There  will  be  just  as  much  corn  and  wheat 
raised  as  there  was  last  year.  The  effects  of  the  calamity  in 
Wall  Street  cannot  be  fully  known  before  next  week,  when  we 
shall  have  returns  from  Europe.  One  thing  is  plainly  shown  by 
this  assassination,  and  that  is  that  our  immigration  system  needs 
radically  changing.  So  long  as  the  Communists  and  criminals 
of  Europe  are  allowed  to  swarm  over  into  this  country  somebody 
will  be  sure  to  get  hurt.  There  should  be  a  change.  We  need 
to  '  bull '  the  country  and  '  bear '  the  politicians  and  swindlers  at 
large.  Then  we  shall  be  all  right.  In  regard  to  the  situation  in 
Washington,  if  the  President  dies  it  is  safe  to  say  that  Vice- 
President  Arthur  will  not  slop  over.  He  is  not  that  kind  of  a 
man,  and  I  am  sure  he  will  do  about  the  wise  thing.  The  effect 
of  this  great  event  will  be  to  clean  out  the  political  stables  at 
Albany,  and  give  the  country  a  new  '  deal '  all  around.  Windom 
is  in  the  right  place.  He  has  done  his  work  well,  and  it  cannot 
be  changed,  for  the  country  has  already  reaped  the  benefit. 
Sherman  will  never  be  put  into  his  place,  If  any  more  men  are 


142  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

assassinated  in  this  country  it  will  be  the  railway  kings,  and  I 
am  sure  that  all  of  them  will  not  die  in  their  beds." 

Mr.  Washington  Connor  was  found  in  his  office  adjoining 
that  of  Jay  Gould.  He  said  :  "  The  result  of  this  calamity  will 
be  what  Mr.  Vanderbilt  and  other  leading  operators  have  been 
striving  to  accomplish — a  decline  in  the  market.  They  want  to 
buy  stocks  at  lower  rates ;  now  they  will  get  them.  The  only 
change  in  the  government  that  will  affect  Wall  Street  will  be  a 
change  in  the  Treasury,  and  I  do  not  believe  that  General  Ar- 
thur will  interfere  in  that  department.  The  administration  will 
probably  be  controlled  by  Conkling.  The  country  is  prosper- 
ous, and  the  present  excitement  will  not  affect  the  market  very 
long.  At  the  end  of  thirty  days  fifty  million  people  will  forget 
that  there  has  been  a  change,  even  if  Arthur  comes  in." 

Mr.  A.  S.  Davis  said  that  while  this  event  may  have  no  polit- 
ical significance — as  beiiig  the  result  of  the  act  of  a  crazy  man 
— yet  it  is  a  blow  at  the  security  of  investments.  Investors 
have  a  vivid  realization  of  how  quickly  their  money  is  liable  to 
melt  away  in  case  of  any  unforeseen  catastrophe. 

Another  prominent  broker  said  that  a  striking  feature  of  the 
day  was  the  unexpectedness  of  the  terrible  news  from  Wash- 
ington. Its  effect  on  the  London  market  was  yet  to  be  deter- 
mined. The  general  feeling  in  the  street  was  that  it  was 
exceedingly  fortunate  that  the  sad  event  occurred  when  the 
London  market  was  closing,  for  it  would  give  the  people  time 
to  recover  from  the  paralyzing  effects  of  the  first  shock,  and 
prepare  them  to  meet  emergencies.  It  was  regarded  as  pecul- 
iarly fortunate  that  the  depression  would  be  followed  by  holi- 
days, so  that  when  the  New  York  market  should  open  on  Tues- 
day it  would  be  one  day  after  the  opening  of  the  London 
market,  and  the  worst  would  be  known.  The  holidays  would 
prevent  American  stocks  from  being  returned  by  cable  to  depress 
the  American  markets. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  143 


ALBANY,    N.    Y.,    AND    ELSEWHERE. 

THE  STATE  LAW-MAKERS  STUPEFIED  AND  DAZED. 

Senators  and  Assemblymen  Filled  with  Sorrow  and  Indignation 
— Speculations  upon  Changes  which  may  Follow  the  Presi- 
dents Death. 

ALBANY. — Like  a  thunderbolt  out  of  a  clear  sky  fell  this  morn- 
ing upon  the  capital  the  news  of  the  shooting  of  the  President. 
Like  a  thunderbolt,  because  for  a  time  it  stupefied  and  dazed 
and  then  left  prostrate  in  grief  all  who  heard  the  horrible  report. 
Not  since  that  bitter  morning  in  April,  1865,  when  the  country 
was  shocked  with  the  news  of  the  death  of  Lincoln,  have  the 
people  of  this  city  been  so  aroused  or  pained.  It  was  about 
9.30  o'clock  when  a  telegraphic  despatch  was  handed  to  Judge 
Robertson  at  the  Kenmore  Hotel  announcing  that  the  President 
had  been  shot.  So  incredible  was  the  report  to  him  that  he 
could  not  believe  it  true.  At  the  same  time,  however,  a  similar 
despatch  was  received  at  the  Western  Union  office,  and  was  im- 
mediately posted  on  a  bulletin.  With  marvellous  speed  the 
report  was  carried  from  point  to  point,  and  before  the  later  de- 
spatches confirming  the  first  had  been  received  the  city  was  in  a 
state  of  painful  excitement.  Men  ran  here  and  there  inquiring 
for  the  news.  "  Is  he  dead?"  was  the  question  asked  a  hundred 
times  a  minute  by  men  and  women  with  blanched  faces  and  wet 
eyes.  No  one  could  tell  more  than  the  telegraph  wires  would 
bring,  and  so  the  expectancy  increased.  Throngs  surrounded 
the  bulletins  and  lingered  along  State  Street  and  Broadway  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  telegraph  office. 

At  the  hotels,  among  the  politicians,  the  effect  of  the  report 
was  to  paralyze  and  strike  dumb.  It  could  not  be  true — there 
must  be  some  mistake — it  was  a  stock-jobbing  story  the  brief 
despatches  that  came  at  10  o'clock,  and  after  dashing  hope  to 
the  ground  filled  every  heart  with  irrepressible  grief.  Senator 
Robertson,  leaving  his  wife,  who  was  terribly  affected  by  the 
news,  at  the  Kenmore,  went  to  room  No.  450,  at  the  Delavan, 
occupied  by  Senators  Woodin  and  Wagner.  Into  this  room 
nocked  everybody  in  search  of  news,  to  find  it  filled  with  men 
speechless  with  grief  and  indignation.  Senator  Woodin,  too 


144  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

much  broken  to  Converse,  sat  with  bowed  head,  looking  upon 
the  floor.  Senator  Robertson,  calm,  yet  anxious,  conversed  with 
Senator  Wagner  in  a  hopeful  strain,  which  was  scarcely  encour- 
aged by  the  despatches  Avhich  came  from  time  to  time.  About 
10.30,  when  the  news  came  that  Dr.  Bliss  had  pronounced  the 
President's  wounds  not  fatal,  and  Senator  Robertson  read  the 
despatch,  it  affected  Senator  Woodin  so  deeply,  causing  a  re- 
action, that  he  jumped  from  his  seat  and  then  fell  in  convul- 
sions, while  others  in  the  room  were  violently  ill,  and  many 
strong  men  wept  like  children.  As  the  minutes  slowly  passed 
in  the  anticipation  of  good  or  bad  news  the  excitement  became 
more  intense.  No  one  could  think  of  anything  else.  Business 
was  practically  suspended.  At  the  Kenmore  the  room  of  Mrs. 
Robertson  was  filled  with  weeping  women.  The  daughter  of 
Senator  Sessions,  who  had  been  much  excited  by  the  news, 
swooned  several  times,  and  had  to  be  carried  away.  The  sorrow 
and  indignation  was  not  confined  to  Republicans.  Democrats 
joined  in  the  general  declaration  of  grief  and  horror  at  the  assas- 
sination. Ex-Senator  Hughes,  stopping  here  for  the  day,  aban- 
doned his  business  and  waited  excitedly  to  hear  further  tidings- 
He  could  not  find  words  strong  enough  to  express  his  indigna- 
tion, and  declared  that  he  would  have  cheerfully  put  himself  in 
the  way  of  the  assassin's  pistol  to  shield  the  country  from  so  ter- 
rible a  calamity. 

With  reluctance  the  members  tore  themselves  away  from  the 
bulletins  and  telegraph  stands  to  go  to  the  Capitol  at  11  o'clock, 
where  they  were  unable  to  attend  to  business.  In  the  Senate, 
Chaplain  Halley  alluded  to  the  shooting  of  the  President  in  his 
opening  prayer  in  very  tender  words,  and  the  body  took  a 
recess.  The  Chaplain  of  the  Assembly  also  alluded  to  the  hor- 
rible crime  that  had  been  committed,  and  then,  at  the  instance 
of  Col.  M.  C.  Murphy,  of  New  York,  who  denounced  the  atrocity 
in  earnest  words,  the  Assembly  took  a  recess.  In  both  houses  all 
despatches  received  from  Washington  were  read  aloud  from  the 
Clerk's  desk.  When  the  two  houses  dispersed  there  was  again 
a  rush  to  the  telegraph  office.  The  bulletins  were  scanned 
eagerly,  yet  with  dread,  for  the  report  was  constantly  abroad, 
and  traceable  to  no  authoritative  source,  that  the  President  was 
dead.  Instead  of  abating  as  the  day  grew,  the  excitement  and 
anxiety  to  learn  the  best  and  the  worst  increased.  From  time 
to  time  extras  were  issued,  and  the  brief  and  unsatisfactory 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELV.  145 

tidings  they  contained  were  read  eagerly.  The  State  offices 
were  deserted,  and  the  office-holders  crowded  the  hotels  to 
gather  up  the  last  information.  The  crowds  in  the  streets 
talked  of  nothing  else.  As  the  matter  became  a  subject  of  con- 
versation, it  was  found  that  some  of  the  Stalwarts  here  were  not 
receiving  the  news  with  the  same  spontaneous  indignation  that 
it  created  among  other  Republicans  and  Democrats.  Senator 
Hogan,  sitting  at  breakfast  with  a  man  whom  he  describes  as  a 
prominent  Republican  politician,  spoke  of  the  shooting  to  the 
Republican,  who  said,  "I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it;  it's  too 
good  to  be  true."  The  Senator  absolutely  refused,  when  he  re- 
peated his  statement,  to  say  who  made  it.  His  refusal  was 
prudent,  for  in  the  hot  condition  of  the  blood  of  most  men  here 
it  is  altogether  probable  the  man  would  have  been  treated 
roughly  if  he  could  have  been  found. 

Gov.  Cornell  heard  of  the  shooting  about  10  o'clock,  when  he 
reached  his  office  in  the  old  Capitol.  He  was  profoundly 
moved  by  it,  and  unable  to  devote  himself  to  the  ordinary  busi- 
ness of  his  office.  Gen.  Townsend  joined  him  later,  with 
Private  Secretary  Abell.  The  despatches  sent  from  time  to  time 
from  the  Western  Union  office  were  anxiously  examined.  The 
Governor's  detestation  of  the  assassin  and  his  sorrow  for  the  de- 
plorable calamity  which  had  befallen  the  country  were  expressed 
calmly  and  with  great  sincerity.  He  saw  that  its  effects  were  to 
be  far-reaching,  more  serious  than  could  be  supposed  by  those 
who  merely  regarded  the  loss  to  the  country  of  its  President. 
At  noon  he  sent  the  following  despatch : 

ALBANY,  July  2,  12  M. 

To  the  Hon.  James  G.  Blaine,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington, 

D.  C.: 

Please  accept  for  the  President  my  prayerful  sympathy  and 
earnest  hope  for  his  early  restoration.  Intense  feeling  exist* 
throughout  the  State,  mingled  with  indignation. 

ALONZO  B.  CORNELL. 

Senator  Robertson   continued  to   receive    despatches  from 

Washington  direct  and  by  way  of  New  York  through  Chauncey 

M.  Depew.     The  senator,  while  apparently  calm,  was   deeply 

moved.     He  had  made  arrangements  to  meet  President  Garfield 

7 


146  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

to-night  at  Dobbs  Ferry  on  his  way  to  dine  with  Cyrus  W. 
Field.  He  had  not  seen  him  since  he  was  appointed  Collector, 
and  looked  forward  to  the  meeting  with  great  expectations  of 
pleasure.  He  had  sent  his  trunk  down  the  river,  and  was  to 
follow  this  afternoon.  He  has  now  determined  to  remain  in 
Albany. 

About  5.30  o'clock  a  report  was  circulated  that  the  President 
was  dead.  Without  waiting  to  verify  the  report,  preparations 
were  made  all  over  the  city  for  draping  stores  and  houses  in 
mourning.  The  Grant  Club  arranged  black  and  white  streamers 
across  the  front  of  its  rooms,  and  raised  its  flag  half-mast. 
Several  shops  in  Pearl  Street  were  draped,  and  flags  appeared  at 
half-mast  on  the  old  Capitol  and  other  buildings.  At  6  o'clock 
a  despatch  from  the  railroad  telegraph  office,  from  which  the 
news  was  said  to  have  originated,  was  posted  in  the  Delavan, 
and  the  mourning  bands  and  flags  soon  after  disappeared. 

When  the  Assembly  was  called  to  order  at  11  o'clock  this 
morning,  a  painful  stillness  prevailed  in  the  chamber.  A 
gloomy  sensation  of  foreboding  and  anxiety  seemed  to  hang 
over  the  scanty  throng  of  representatives  present.  In  the  open- 
ing prayer,  offered  by  the  clergyman  present,  a  slight  allusion 
was  made  to  the  attack  upon  the  President,  and  a  fervent  wish 
expressed  that  his  wounds  would  not  prove  fatal.  Then,  after 
the  reading  of  the  journal,  Mr.  M.  C.  Murphy,  Democrat,  of 
New  York,  rose  and  said : 

"  Mr.  SPEAKER. — I  move  you  this  house  take  a  recess  until 
five  minutes  before  twelve  o'clock.  I  make  this  motion  because 
of  the  deplorable  news  that  has  reached  the  city  of  Albany  in 
regard  to  the  assassination  of  the  gentleman  from  Ohio,  the 
President  of  the  United  States.  Mr.  Speaker,  when  we  see  a 
boy  driving  two  horses  on  the  canal ;  when  we  see  that  boy 
going  along  the  towpath ;  when  we  see  that  boy  sawing  wood 
in  college  and  doing  chores  for  his  education ;  when  we  see  that 
boy  graduating  with  distinguished  honor ;  when  we  see  him  be- 
come a  professor;  when  we  see  him  go  to  the  defense  of  his 
country  and  command  a  division  of  troops ;  when  we  see  that 
man  go  to  Congress  and  serve  twenty  years,  a  bright  star  among 
brilliant  men ;  when  we  see  that  man  elected  to  the  office  that 
is  the  highest  in  existence  to-day,  the  President  of  the  United 
States ;  when  we  see  that  man  shot  down  by  the  hand  of  an 


PRESIDENT  QARFIELD.  147 

assassin,  there  is  no  condemnation  too  great  by  Democrats,  as 
well  as  the  majority  of  this  house,  to  give  utterance.  When  we 
see  that  office  disgraced,  not  the  man,  because  it  is  the  office 
that  is  disgraced,  I  say,  sir,  on  the  part  of  the  minority  of  this 
house,  that  there  is  nothing  at  our  hands  that  we  are  not  pre- 
pared to  acknowledge  and  condemn  on  the  part  of  the  vaga- 
bond that  was  incited  or  the  maniac  who  attempted  it." 

RICHMOND,  VA.,  July  2,  1881. 

The  most  intense  excitement  has  prevailed  here  during  the 
day  over  the  intelligence  of  the  attempted  assassination  of 
President  Garfield.  When  first  the  rumor  was  reported  it  was 
generally  discredited ;  but  on  confirmatory  despatches  being  read, 
the  public  mind  began  to  realize  the  shocking  news,  and  in  a 
short  time  the  whole  city  seemed  moved.  Crowds  gathered 
rapidly  at  news  centers  anxious  for  particulars,  and  expressions 
of  deep  regret  at  the  dire  calamity  which  has  befallen  the  nation 
and  condemnations  of  the  dastardly  act  are  general. 

HARRISONBURG,  VA.,  July  2, 1881. 

The  intelligence  of  the  attempted  assassination  of  the  Presi- 
dent creates  universal  indignation  and  regret  here  among  all 
classes. 

MONTGOMERY,  ALA.,  July  2,  1881. 

The  attempted  assassination  of  the  President  causes  universal 
sorrow  and  indignation  here.  A  call  has  been  made  for  an  in- 
dignation meeting,  to  be  held  on  Monday  night. 

SELMA,  ALA.,  July  2,  1881. 

The  news  of  the  attempt  to  assassinate  the  President  was  re- 
ceived here  with  the  most  profound  regret.  A  mass  meeting 
called  by  the  chairman  of  the  Democratic  Executive  Committee, 
the  Mayor  of  the  city,  our  member  of  Congress,  and  other  promi- 
nent citizens,  was  held  at  6  P.M.,  and  was  largely  attended. 
Resolutions  were  passed  by  a  unanimous  rising  vote,  denouncing 
the  dastardly  act,  and  expressing  the  most  sincere  grief  at  the 
nation's  calamity. 

ATLANTA,  July  2. — In  response  to  a  call  issued  at  noon  to- 
day by  the  Mayor,  a  large  number  of  the  best  citizens  assembled 
at  the  Opera  House  this  evening  at  4.30  o'clock,  to  consider  ap- 


148  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 

propriate  resolutions  concerning  the  assassination  of  President 
Garfield.  Appropriate  resolutions  were  adopted  by  a  rising 
vote.  Speeches  were  made  by  Congressman  Hammond,  Gen- 
eral John  B.  Gordon,  Senator  Brown,  Chief-Justice  James  Jack- 
son, and  ex-Governor  Bullock. 

NEW  ORLEANS,  July  2. — The  shooting  of  President  Garfield 
created  intense  excitement  in  this  city  to-day,  and  was  almost 
the  only  subject  discussed.  All  people  condemn  the  act  in  the 
strongest  terms,  and  express  regret  for  the  President. 

AUGUSTA,  GA.,  July  2. — This  community  was  thrilled  with 
horror,  indignation,  and  disgust  on  hearing  of  the  shooting  of 
President  Garfield.  All  classes  bemoan  his  fate,  and  express  the 
most  profound  sympathy  with  the  illustrious  victim  of  a  cowardly 


NASHVILLE,  TENN.,  July  2. — The  community  here  was  shocked 
with  news  of  the  shooting  of  the  President,  and  popular  indig- 
nation and  abhorrence  at  the  act  were  universal.  Crowds 
gathered  about  the  newspaper  offices,  and  inquiries  for  news 
were  despatched  from  all  parts  of  the  State. 

EALEIGH,  N.  C.,  July  2. — A  public  meeting  of  the  citizens 
has  been  called  here  to  denounce  the  crime. 

THE  SENTIMENT  IN  BROOKLYN. 

The  assassination  of  Abraham  Lincoln  did  not  cause  a  greater 
thrill  through  the  hearts  of  the  community  of  the  City  of 
Churches  and  homes  than  was  sent  from  one  end  of  Brooklyn 
to  the  other  upon  the  announcement  of  the  assassination  of 
President  Garfield.  All  factional,  all  partisan  feeling  and  ani- 
mosities were  covered  up  and  lost  sight  of  in  the  one  great  ap- 
palling fact  that  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  United  States  had 
again  fallen  at  the  hands  of  an  assassin.  The  telegraph  offices 
and  the  local  newspaper  sanctums  were  besieged  by  pale-faced, 
anxious-visaged  men  of  every  shade  of  party  complexion  and 
diversity  of  opinion,  who  could  hardly  believe  the  astonishing 
announcement  and  who  sought  verification  from  the  best  avail- 
able sources.  The  streets  were  filled  with  newsboys  selling  extra 
Telegrams  and  other  evening  papers,  and  the  venders  of  the 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  149 

extras  realized  exorbitant  profits  in  satiating  the  thirst  for  further 
details  of  the  national  tragedy  among  the  people. 

"  I  don't  know  what  we  are  coming  to.  This  is  really  terri- 
ble," said  Mayor  Howell.  "  I  opposed  the  election  of  Mr.  Gar- 
field,  but  as  he  was  duly  elected  by  the  majority  I  respect  him 
as  the  Chief  Magistrate  and  President  of  the  United  States.  T 
deeply  deplore  this  terrible  occurrence.  I  have  given  orders  to 
the  keeper  of  the  City  Hall  in  the  event  of  the  death  of  the 
President  to  drape  the  building  with  mourning."  The  Mayor 
also  told  Captain  Dick,  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Supplies  of  the 
Department  of  City  Works,  who  has  immediate  supervision  of  the 
fireworks  ordered  for  the  celebration  of  the  Fourth  of  July,  to 
have  the  public  exhibitions  postponed  until  some  future  occasion 
should  the  President  die.  The  Mayor  said  the  assassin  should 
be  hanged.  If  he  was  crazy  they  should  hang  him  twice. 

"  It's  shocking,"  said  General  Jourdan,  Commissioner  of  Police 
and  Excise  and  major  general  commanding  the  Second  division 
of  the  National  Guard.  "  I  can  think  of  no  other  means  of  ex- 
pressing what  I  feel.  Garfield  would  hav^  made  a  good  Presi- 
dent. Should  the  President  die  Arthur  would  make  a  good 
President.  The  country  would  go  on  the  same." 

Collector  of  Taxes  and  Assessments,  "  Corporal "  James  Tan- 
ner, said :  "  It  is  terrible !  It  is  terrible  !  It  is  the  act  of  a 
lunatic." 

General  Isaac  Catlin,  the  District  Attorney  of  Kings  county, 
said  he  was  thoroughly  overcome  by  the  news  of  the  shooting. 

Commissioner  of  City  Works,  John  French,  said  that  no  sane 
person  would,  he  thought,  recklessly  shoot  so  good  a  man  as 
President  Garfield. 

Police  Justice  Walsh,  democrat,  said:  "Garfield  was  a  better 
man  for  the  business  interests  of  the  nation  than  Arthur,  who 
will  succeed  him,  ever  can  be." 

A  few  minutes  before  five  o'clock  mourning  streamers  were 
displayed  from  the  half-masted  flags  on  the  roof  of  the  City 
Hall. 

The  keepers  of  the  County  Court  House  and  Municipal  Build- 
ing displayed  flags  at  half-mast.  Ex-Sheriff  Dagget's  head- 
quarters, corner  of  Montague  and  Court  Streets,  displayed  the 
flag  looped  with  crape.  From  many  private  residences  through- 
out the  city  the  colors  were  also  half-masted. 


160  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

Mayor  Howell  sent  the  following  communication  to  General 
Jourdan : 

General  James  Jourdan,  Commissioner  of  Police  and  Excise : 

DEAR  SIR — The  murderous  assault  upon  the  President  of  the 
United  States  has  deeply  excited  the  public  mind,  and  to  such 
an  extent  that  it  is  not  improbable  that  disturbances  of  the  peace 
of  this  community  may  ensue.  In  view  of  the  condition  of 
things  I  have  to  request  that  you  direct  instructions  to  the  cap- 
tains of  the  several  police  precincts  to  exercise  the  greatest 
vigilance,  and  the  whole  force  of  the  department  be  held  in 
readiness  in  case  of  any  outbreak.  I  would  also  suggest  that 
the  military  under  your  command  be  notified  and  be  prepared 
to  execute  your  orders  at  any  moment.  Very  respectfully 
yours,  JAMES  HOWELL, 

Mayor. 

Police  Superintendent  Campbell,  in  accordance  with  instruc- 
tions from  the  Commissioner,  issued  an  order  to  the  captains 
impressing  them  with  the  necessity  of  exercising  the  utmost 
vigilance. 

THE  NEWS  IN  PHILADELPHIA. 

PHILADELPHIA,  July  2, 1881. — The  first  intimation  of  the  shoot- 
ing of  President  Garfield  was  received  over  the  private  wire  of  a 
Third  Street  banking  house  about  ten  o'clock,  but  it  was  only  a  few 
minutes  until  bulletins  were  posted  at  all  the  newspaper  offices  on 
Chestnut  Street,  and  for  a  time  all  business  was  practically  sus- 
pended. The  news  spread  with  the  wind,  as  it  seemed,  and  long 
before  any  extra  editions  of  the  afternoon  journals  were  on  the 
street  the  terrible  intelligence  had  reached  the  extreme  limits  of  the 
business  portion  of  Philadelphia.  Great  crowds  at  once  gathered 
about  the  newspaper  offices,  and  the  bulletins  there  displayed  were 
eagerly  scanned  and  commented  upon.  When,  about  two  o'clock, 
thebulletins  began  to  indicate  unfavorable  symptoms  the  effect 
upon  the  crowds  of  people  was  to  greatly  increase  the  growing  hor- 
ror. All  the  previously  wild  discussion  as  to  the  instigators,  or  the 
criminal's  motive,  were  hushed,  and  the  people  stood,  with  pain- 
ful anxiety  evident  on  every  face,  waiting  to  read  the  half-hourly 
bulletins  which  were  sent  out  from  the  dying  (?)  President's 
chamber  at  the  White  House.  The  expression,  "  Isn't  it  horri- 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  151 

ble  ? "  was  heard  on  every  hand.  One  man  in  the  crowd  in 
front  of  the  Times  office  said  solemnly,  "  The  scarlet  circle  of 
the  king  killers  has  been  extended  to  the  United  States."  This 
was  anent  the  announcement  that  Guiteau  was  known  to  be  a 
prominent  member  of  the  socialist  societies  in  Chicago.  "  Yes," 
said  a  prominent  judge  as  he  read  the  latest  bulletin,  while  hear- 
ing the  words  of  the  man  at  his  elbow,  "  yes,  the  revolt  of  the 
Proletariat  has  begun  among  us."  It  would  be  worse  than  idle 
and  unjust  to  repeat  the  gossip  and  the  violent  opinions  expressed 
by  the  thousands  of  people  who  jostled  each  other  about  the 
various  news  centres. 


SORROW  AT  TRENTON. 

TRENTON,  N.  J.,  July  2,  1881. — The  attempted  assassination 
of  President  Garfield  has  caused  a  feeling  of  consternation,  hor- 
ror, and  sorrow  among  all  classes  here,  and  the  city  is  over 
shadowed  with  gloom.  Excitement  runs  high  and  the  streets 
are  crowded  with  people,  the  telegraph  bulletin  boards  being 
besieged.  Every  one  prays  that  the  President  may  recover. 

HE  NEWS  IN  THE  SENATE. 

The  Senate  met  at  half-past  eleven  o'clock,  and  was  called  to 
order  by  president  pro  tern.  Robertson  amid  manifestations  of 
deep  feeling. 

Rev.  Dr.  Halley  offered  up  the  following  pathetic  prayer : 
"  Almighty  God !  We  have  been  summoned  to  this  Senate 
chamber  after  hearing  the  startling  and  melancholy  intelligence 
that  the  President  of  the  United  States  has  been  shot  by  the 
hand  of  an  assassin.  But  a  few  months  have  elapsed  since  we 
read  of  the  ceremonies  of  his  inauguration  to  this  high  office  and 
of  the  interesting  scenes  connected  with  his  installation,  sur- 
rounded by  the  great  men  of  the  country,  and  the  foreign  am- 
bassadors, in  emblazoned  robes,  cheerfully  paying  to  him  their 
homage  of  respect  and  love.  The  lesson  teaches  us  of  the  in- 
security of  human  life,  and  we  pray  Thee,  Almighty  God,  that 
Thou  wilt  spare  him,  that  he  may  recover  his  health,  that  his 
sun  may  not  yet  go  down,  that  those  who  may  have  been  instru- 
mental in  concocting  so  diabolical  a  crime  may  be  frustrated  in 
their  hopes,  and  that  the  stability  of  our  institutions  may  be 


ASSASSINATION  OF 

preserved.  We  know  that  the  best  medical  staff  will  be  called 
into  exercise  in  order  to  afford  every  remedy  whereby  this  calam- 
ity may  be  remedied.  Forbid,  Almighty  God,  that  the  President 
should  be  thus  cut  down  in  the  maturity  of  his  manhood,  and 
we  pray  Thee  that  whilst  thou  didst  bring  him  so  near  the  gates 
of  death  that  Thou  wilt  raise  him  up  and  make  him  an  instru- 
ment of  blessing  to  thousands ;  and  we  pray  Thee  that  Thou 
wilt  arrest  the  progress  of  vice  and  crime  in  our  midst.  We 
pray  Thee  that  we  will  not  be  further  compelled  to  read  in  the 
public  prints  of  unholy  familiarity  with  crime,  and  we  pray  that 
stringent  measures  may  be  employed  to  support  the  dignity  of 
the  law  and  prevent  a  repetition  of  these  crimes  that  are  every 
day  startling  the  public,  wounding  the  heart,  and  carrying  grief 
and  desolation  into  families.  Do  Thou  ever  watch  over  us,  and 
may  all  these  dispensations  of  Providence  teach  us  to  lean  more 
and  more  upon  Thee.  Pardon  our  sins  and  bless  us  for  Christ's 
sake.  Amen." 

Immediately  after  the  reading  of  the  journal  the  Clerk  read 
from  the  desk  an  Associated  Press  despatch  and  a  private  de- 
spatch to  Senator  Wagner,  briefly  conveying  the  latest  informa- 
tion obtainable. 

Senator  Halbert  then  offered  the  following : 

Whereas,  the  Senate  of  the  State  of  New  York  has  learned 
with  profound  sorrow  of  the  attempted  assassination  of  the 
President  of  the  United  States  ;  therefore 

Resolved,  that  we  tender  our  heartfelt  sympathy  to  the  Presi- 
dent and  his  family,  and  at  the  same  time  express  our  horror  and 
indignation  at  the  atrocious  attempt  made  upon  his  life. 

Senator  McCarthy  said : 

Mr.  PRESIDENT — While  I  agree  in  much  of  that  resolution, 
and  am  willing  to  express  indignation  and  horror  and  all  the 
feeling  that  the  heart  is  capable  of  expressing  on  a  matter  of 
this  kind,  I  hardly  feel  at  liberty  to  offer  condolence  or  sympathy 
until  I  learn  what  the  result  of  this  shall  be.  I  have  no  idea  of 
objecting  to  this  resolution.  I  hope  that  nothing  will  occur  at 
the  White  House,  at  any  time  in  the  near  future,  that  will  make 
it  necessary  to  offer  any  further  resolution  on  this  subject. 

The  resolution  was  agreed  to. 

Senator  Mills,  in  view  of  the  great  calamity  that  had  fallen 
on  the  country,  moved  a  recess  until  five  minutes  of  twelve 
o'clock.  A  recess  was  taken. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  153 

During  the  intermission  the  senators  gathered  in  an  excited 
group  in  front  of  the  Clerk's  desk  and  listened  to  the  reading  of 
the  Associated  Press  despatches,  in  which  they  manifested  intense 
interest. 

Immediately  on  returning  from  the  joint  assembly  the  Senate 
adjourned  to  ten  minutes  before  twelve  o'clock  on  Monday 
morning. 

Despatches  having  been  received  here  at  about  half -past  four 
P.M.  announcing  the  death  of  the  President,  Mayor  Nolan 
ordered  the  fire-alarm  bells  tolled.  The  cathedral  chimes 
were  also  tolled  on  the  minor  chords.  All  the  public  buildings 
had  their  flags  lowered  to  half-mast,  and  a  number  of  stores 
were  draped  in  mourning.  An  air  of  sadness  pervades  the  en- 
tire city,  and  there  is  a  strong  feeling  among  all  classes.  Both 
political  parties  join  in  reprobation  of  the  act. 

NEWPORT,    R.    I. 

The  attempt  to  assassinate  the  President  has  been  the  absorb- 
ing topic  of  conversation  throughout  this  city  and  State.  As 
previously  stated  in  the  Herald,  a  monster  celebration  of  the 
Fourth  of  July  had  been  determined  upon  by  this  municipality. 
It  has  now  been  decided,  notwithstanding  the  expense  to  which 
the  city  has  been  put,  to  forego  the  festivities  of  the  day  in  view 
of  the  probable  death  of.  the  President.  The  celebration  at 
Bristol  will  also  be  postponed.  Newport's  celebration,  with  the 
aid  of  the  summer  residents,  promised  to  be  one  of  the  finest 
ever  held  in  the  State. 

LOUISVILLE,  KY. 

There  is  considerable  excitement  here  over  the  news  of  the 
attempted  assassination  of  President  Garfield,  and  great  anxiety 
is  manifested  to  hear  from  Washington  and  New  York.  The 
impression  is  that  the  outlook  for  the  country,  and  for  the 
South  especially,  would  be  very  much  less  bright  with  Arthur 
than  with  Garfield  in  the  Presidential  chair ;  but  there  is  no  an- 
ticipation of  any  serious  trouble  in  any  event.  Much  sympathy 
is  expressed  for  President  Garfield  and  his  family.  At  the 
Board  of  Trade  a  resolution  was  adopted  expressing  abhorrence 
of  the  attempted  murder,  and  proffering  the  sympathy  of  the 
Board  to  President  Garfield's  family  and  to  the  country.  The 
7* 


154  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

resolution  was  telegraphed  to  the  Secretary  of  State  at  Wash- 
ington. 

RALEIGH,    N.    C. 

There  is  great  indignation  here  at  the  attempted  assassination 
of  the  President.  A  public  meeting  of  the  citizens  has  been 
called  to  denounce  it. 

CHARLESTON,    8.    C.  t 

The  news  of  the  assassination  of  President  Garfield  excited 
universal  grief  and  horror  in  Charleston.  The  sorrow  felt  by 
the  community  is  seen  on  the  faces  of  all  classes.  Hope  is 
everywhere  expressed  that  he  will  soon  recover.  The  Chamber 
of  Commerce  held  a  large  meeting  at  two  o'clock.  Addresses 
were  made  declaring  sentiments  of  sorrow,  condemning  the  act 
of  the  assassin  as  the  deepest  crime,  expressing  the  wish  that 
the  President  will  soon  be  restored  to  the  people  of  the 
United  States,  to  whom  he  is  so  dear,  without  regard  to  politi- 
cal opinions,  and  declaring  to  the  President  and  his  family 
the  sympathy  of  the  people  of  Charleston  with  them  in  their 
affliction. 

NASHVILLE,    TENN. 

The  community  was  shocked  at  the  news  of  the  attempted 
assassination  of  the  President,  and  popular  indignation  and  ab- 
horrence at  the  act  are  universal.  Great  anxiety  is  felt  to  hear 
tidings  of  the  wounded  President's  condition,  and  expressions 
of  sympathy  and  hope  for  his  ultimate  recovery  are  heard  every- 
where. Crowds  are  gathered  about  the  newspaper  offices, 
and  inquiries  for  news  are  despatched  from  all  parts  of  the 
State. 

BALTIMORE,    MD. 

The  most  intense  excitement  prevails  throughout  this  city  at 
the  attempted  assassination  of  President  Garfield.  All  business 
is  suspended,  and  groups  of  men  are  assembled  on  every  street 
dumbfounded,  anxiously  and  fearfully  awaiting  the  result. 
Around  the  newspaper  offices,  about  Baltimore  and  South 
streets,  the  sidewalks  and  streets  are  blocked  by  crowds  of  men. 
The  papers  are  issuing  bulletins  every  half  hour.  There  is  a 
universal  expression  of  sorrow  and  indignation. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  165 


LITTLE    ROCK,    ARK. 

The  news  of  the  assassination  of  President  Garfield  created 
intense  excitement,  and  a  feeling  of  universal  horror  was  ex- 
pressed for  the  atrocious  act.  The  greatest  sympathy  is  ex- 
pressed for  the  President.  Mayor  Kramer  called  a  meeting  of 
citizens  this  evening  to  take  suitable  action  in  reference  to  the 
calamity. 

CHARLOTTESVILLE,  VA. 

There  was  intense  indignation  here  this  morning  upon  the 
receipt  of  the  news  of  the  attempted  assassination  of  President 
Garfield.  A  call  is  out  for  an  indignation  meeting  to-night,  and 
is  signed  mostly  by  Confederate  soldiers. 

WILMINGTON,    N.    C. 

The  news  of  the  shooting  of  President  Garfield  was  received 
here  with  a  universal  expression  of  horror  and  regret.  The  act 
is  severely  denounced,  and  the  President's  early  recovery  is  ear- 
nestly hoped  for  by  all  classes. 

NEW    ORLEANS,   LA. 

The  news  of  the  attempted  assassination  of  President  Gar- 
field  created  intense  excitement  in  this  city,  and  is  almost  the 
only  subject  discussed.  All  condemn  the  act  in  the  strongest 
terms,  and  express  sympathy  for  the  President  and  hope  for  his 
speedy  recovery. 

BUFFALO,  N.  Y.,  July  2. — The  reported  assassination  of 
President  Garfield  created  the  most  intense  excitement  in  this 
city  this  morning.  All  political  differences  are  for  the  time  for- 
gotten, and  a  universal  expression  of  sorrow,  coupled  with  a 
loud  call  for  vengeance  upon  his  would-be  murderer,  prevails 
everywhere.  All  business  for  a  time  was  almost  entirely  sus- 
pended, and  the  people  were  gathered  upon  the  street  corners 
discussing  the  affair. 

The  Commercial  Advertiser  (Republican),  alludes  to  the 
assassination,  in  substance,  as  follows :  "  In  the  height  of  a  crisis 
like  this  the  pen  falters,  and  it  is  hard  to  describe  the  effect  of 
such  startling  news  upon  the  people  of  a  great  nation.  The 


156  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

despatches  from  every  part  of  the  country  report  that  the  excite- 
ment has  been  without  precedent  or  parallel  since  the  hour 
when  the  name  of  Lincoln  was  placed  upon  the  roll  of  the 
martyred  dead.  Business  is  suspended.  Men  have  little  thought 
or  care  for  the  affairs  of  every-day  life  when  they  know  that  an 
assassin  has  aimed  at  the  head  of  the  national  Government. 
But  the  calamity  has  revealed  the  firm  hold  that  President  Gar- 
field  has  upon  the  esteem  and  affection  of  his  fellow-citizens. 
That  he  may  be  spared  and  restored  to  the  vigorous  health  that 
has  been  his  blessing  is  the  prayer  that  ascends  to  the  great 
Euler  of  nations  from  the  millions  of  people  in  this  vast  Repub- 
lic. James  A.  Garfield,  if  he  lives,  will  learn,  after  the  trial  to 
which  he  is  now  subjected,  how  sincerely  he  is  respected  by  the 
people  who  so  recently  placed  him  in  the  highest  office  of  their 
Government.  There  are  no  political  lines  now  when  a  nation 
is  shocked  by  the  reports  of  assassination,  and  mourns,  with 
loved  ones  and  loving  wife,  who  are  gathered  by  the  beside  of 
a  wise  father,  a  kind  husband,  and  a  faithful  son.  There  are 
distinctions  of  persons  in  this  great  nation  at  such  a  time  for  all 
who  are  Americans  by  birth,  or  by  adoption,  who  cry  out 
against  a  crime  so  heinous,  and  their  hearts  turn  towards  the 
victim  of  so  foul  a  wrong." 

THE    NEWS    IN    PITTSBURO. 

PITTSBUR&,  PENN.,  July  2. — The  news  of  the  attempted 
assassination  of  President  Garfield  has  paralyzed  business. 
Intense  excitement  prevails,  and  the  streets  are  crowded  with 
people  waiting  anxiously  for  news. 

LANSING,  MICH.,  July  2. — On  receiving  the  news  of  the 
attempted  .assassination  of  President  Garfield  the  Greenback 
camp-meeting,  now  in  session  here,  unanimously  adopted  the 
following  declaration : 

Whereas,  The  telegraph  informs  us  that  an  assassin  has  this 
day  made  an  attempt  on  the  life  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  therefore  we,  representatives  of  the  National  Greenback 
party  of  the  Union,  take  this  occasion  to  deplore  and  condemn 
the  second  attempt  to  deprive  our  Republic  of  its  legitimate 
head,  and  we  demand  that  all  the  power  of  the  Government  be 
put  in  force  to  punish  this  and  all  such  acts  of  violence  and 
violations  of  law. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  157 


DENOUNCING   AN   ATROCIOUS   DEED. 

LITTLE  ROCK,  July  2. — The  news  of  the  assassination  of 
President  Garfield  created  intense  excitement,  and  a  feeling  of 
universal  horror  was  expressed  for  the  atrocious  act.  The  great- 
est sympathy  is  manifested  for  the  President.  Mayor  Kramer 
called  a  meeting  of  citizens  this  evening  to  take  suitable  action 
in  reference  to  the  calamity. 

EXECRATION   FOR   THE   ASSASSIN. 

SAVANNAH,  GA.,  July  2. — Despatches  briefly  announcing  that 
President  Garfield  had  been  shot,  but  giving  no  particulars, 
were  received  here  at  10.30  o'clock  this  morning.  The  news 
created  a  profound  sensation  throughout  the  city,  and  words 
of  execration  for  the  assassin  and  deep  sympathy  for  the  victim 
were  on  every  lip.  In  its  first  extra  edition  containing  the  sad 
intelligence,  the  News  said:  "The  event  in  itself  is  astounding 
and  deplorable  in  the  extreme,  but  its  significance  depends  much 
upon  the  character  of  the  assassin  and  the  motive  which 
prompted  the  murderous  act.  If  it  should  prove  to  be  like  the 
attempt  on  the  life  of  President  Jackson  in  1834 — merely  the 
irresponsible  act  of  a  madman — it  will  be  deplored  as  a  national 
calamity. 

WILLIAMSTOWN,  MASS.,  July  2. — The  news  of  the  attempted 
assassination  of  President  Garfield  created  high  excitement  here, 
not  only  because  of  his  being  a  Williams  alumnus,  but  particu- 
larly from  his  intention  of  attending  commencement  exercises. 
Every  arrangement  had  been  made  for  his  coming,  and  when 
first  the  news  reached  here  the  telegraph  office  was  crowded 
with  excited  students  and  professors,  with  President  Chadbourne 
at  their  head.  The  report  has  got  out  that  there  will  be  no 
commencement  in  consequence  of  the  shooting.  President 
Chadbourne  says  that  unless  Mr.  Garfield  dies  the  exercises  will 
proceed  in  regular  order.  No  changes  are  to  be  made  until  the 
trustees'  meeting  on  Monday.  Meanwhile  a  feeling  of  deep  sad- 
ness prevails  in  the  town  and  college. 

CINCINNATI,  July  2. — The  feeling  in  Cincinnati  is  one  of 
mingled  grief  and  rage  in  reference  to  the  shooting  of  President 
Garfield.  The  cooler  heads  counsel  moderation.  Groups  of 


158  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

people  gather  everywhere  and  make  the  awful  event  the  only 
topic  of  conversation.  The  outcry  against  the  leniency  of  com- 
munities towards  crimes  against  persons  as  breeding  the  spirit  of 
murder  is  everywhere  emphatic  and  outspoken.  The  hope  that 
the  President  will  survive,  coupled  with  the  fear  that  he  will 
not,  adds  suspense  to  the  excitement  and  intensifies  it. 

INDIANAPOLIS,  July  2,  1881. 

The  news  of  the  attempted  assassination  of  President  Garfield 
created  intense  excitement,  and  for  a  time  business  was  sus- 
pended and  crowds  thronged  about  the  telegraph  and  newspa- 
per offices.  As  the  news  comes  in  this  afternoon  of  the  Presi- 
dent's unfavorable  condition,  expressions  of  sorrow  are  heard 
from  all.  Telegrams  from  all  parts  of  the  State  are  coming  in 
rapidly,  asking  for  the  latest  news  from  the  President,  and  indi- 
cate great  anxiety  all  over  the  State. 

CHICAGO,  ILL.,  July  2,  1881. 

The  excitement  here  caused  by  the  news  of  the  attempted 
murder  of  the  President  is  very  intense.  Nothing  since  the 
death  of  Lincoln  has  so  stirred  the  populace.  On  its  first  an- 
nouncement, business  was  at  once  suspended,  and  everybody 
hurried  into  the  street  to  learn  the  latest  particulars. 

BOSTON,  MASS.,  July  2,  1881. 

The  news  of  the  attempted  assassination  of  the  President 
caused  the  most  intense  excitement  in  this  city,  and  crowds  sur- 
rounded the  newspaper  offices,  all  of  which  have  issued  extras. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  morning,  business  was  temporarily  sus- 
pended on  every  hand.  The  later  favorable  news  that  the 
President  was  not  dead  in  a  measure  quelled  the  excitement. 

PITTSBURG,  PA.,  July  2,  1881. 

The  news  of  the  attempted  assassination  of  President  Gar- 
field  has  paralyzed  business.  Intense  excitement  prevails,  and 
the  streets  are  crowded  with  people  waiting  anxiously  for  news. 

BRIDGEPORT,  CONN.,  July  2,  1881. 

The  assassination  of  President  Garfield  has  cast  a  gloom  over 
the  city.  Business  is  entirely  suspended,  and  the  telegraph 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELI).  159 

and  newspaper  offices  are  surrounded  by  crowds  of    excited 


PORTLAND,  ME.,  July  2,  1881. 

Mayor  Senter  telegraphs  to  Secretary  Blaine  as  follows : 
"  Grief  is  felt  here  at  the  President's  condition,  and  all  citizens 
unite  in  earnest  hopes  for  his  recovery.  They  would  regard  his 
death  as  a  most  grievous  public  calamity." 

Great  excitement  and  feeling  prevail,  and  business  is  almost 
suspended.  Crowds  of  people  hang  about  the  bulletin  boards. 

ST.  ALBANS,  July  2,  1881. 

Perhaps  in  no  place  in  New  England  could  the  news  of  the 
attempted  assassination  of  President  Garfield  have  created  a 
more  profound  impression  than  at  St.  Albans.  The  anticipated 
visit  of  the  President  during  the  meeting  of  the  Teachers'  In- 
stitute has  been  looked  forward  to  by  our  people  with  cordial 
satisfaction,  and  the  most  extensive  preparations  had  been  made 
for  the  entertainment  of  himself  and  the  party  who  were  to  ac- 
company him.  The  announcement  of  the  dastardly  attempt 
upon  his  life  was  received  with  universal  expressions  of  in- 
credulity. The  confirmation  of  the  report  created  most  pro- 
found indignation.  Business  was  entirely  suspended,  and  the 
utmost  bewilderment  pervaded  the  community.  Governor  Farn- 
ham  has  been  in  constant  communication  with  Colonel  Childs, 
chief  of  staff,  under  whose  supervision  the  arrangements  for  the 
reception  of  the  President  were  made,  and  this  evening  orders 
were  issued  revoking  former  instructions  to  the  staff.  The  Gov- 
ernor has  also  forwarded  to  the  Secretary  of  State  at  Washing- 
ton the  expression  of  his  profound  sympathy  and  regret. 

LOUISVILLE,  Ky.,  July  2. — There  is  much  excitement  here  over 
the  news  of  the  attempted  assassination  of  President  Garfield, 
and  great  anxiety  is  manifested  to  hear  from  Washington  and 
New  York.  The  impression  is  that  the  outlook  for  the  coun- 
try, and  for  the  South  especially,  would  be  very  much  less  bright 
with  Arthur  than  with  Garfield  in  the  presidential  chair,  but 
there  is  no  anticipation  of  any  serious  trouble  in  any  event 
Much  sympathy  is  expressed  for  President  Garfield  and  his  fam- 
ily. Business  to-day  is  rather  more  quiet,  but  not  to  any  ex- 
tent disturbed.  At  the  meeting  on  'Change  at  the  Board  of 
Trade  to-day  the  following  was  adopted  and  telegraphed  to 
Washington : 


160  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

LOUISVILLE,  July  2. 

Secretary  of  State,  Washington : 

The  Board  of  Trade  of  Louisville  expresses  its  abhorrence  of 
the  attempted  assassination  of  the  President,  and  proffers  its 
sympathy  to  his  family  and  the  country,  with  the  earnest  hope 
for  his  recovery.  JOHN  E.  GREEN, 

President. 

SORROW  IN    INDIANAPOLIS. 

INDIANAPOLIS,  July  2. — The  news  of  the  attempted  assassina- 
tion of  President  Garfield  created  intense  excitement,  and  for  a 
time  business  was  suspended  and  crowds  thronged  about  the 
telegraph  and  newspaper  offices.  As  the  news  comes  in  this 
afternoon  of  the  President's  unfavorable  condition,  expressions 
of  sorrow  are  heard  from  all.  Telegrams  from  all  parts  of  the 
State  are  coming  in  rapidly,  asking  for  the  latest  news  from  the 
President,  and  indicate  great  anxiety  all  over  the  State. 

WILLIAMSTOWN,  Mass.,  July  2. — The  news  of  the  attempted 
assassination  of  President  Garfield  created  high  excitement  here, 
not  only  because  of  his  being  a  Williams  alumnus,  but  particu- 
larly from  his  intention  of  attending  commencement  exercises. 
Every  arrangement  had  been  made  for  his  coming,  and  when 
first  the  news  reached  here  the  telegraph  office  was  crowded 
with  excited  students  and  professors,  with  President  Chad- 
bourne  at  their  head.  The  report  has  got  out  that  there  will 
be  no  commencement  in  consequence  of  the  shooting.  Presi- 
dent Chadbourne  says  that,  unless  the  President  should  die,  the 
exercises  will  proceed  in  regular  order.  No  changes  are  to  be 
made  until  the  trustee  meeting,  on  Monday.  Meanwhile  a  feel- 
ing of  deep  sadness  prevails  in  the  town  and  college. 

NASHVILLE  DEEPLY  SHOCKED. 

NASHVILLE,  Tenn.,  July  2. — The  community  was  shocked  at 
the  news  of  the  attempted  assassination  of  the  President,  and 
popular  indignation  and  abhorrence  at  the  act  are  universal. 
Great  anxiety  is  felt  to  hear  tidings  of  the  wounded  President's 
condition,  and  expressions  of  sympathy  and  hope  for  his  ulti- 
mate recovery  are  heard  everywhere.  Crowds  are  gathered 
about  the  newspaper  offices,  and  inquiries  for  news  are  despatched 
from  all  parts  of  the  State. 


PBESIDENT  GARFIELD.  161 


HOPES  AND  FEARS  IN  ROCHESTER. 

KOCHESTER,  July  2. — The  feeling  in  this  city  over  the  at- 
tempt on  the  President's  life  is  intense  in  the  highest  degree,  re- 
calling the  sad  scenes  of  the  death  of  Lincoln.  There  is  no  thought 
uppermost  in  the  public  mind  except  the  one  of  the  immeasur- 
able injury  that  has  been  done  public  security  by  such  an  out- 
rageous violation  of  the  rights  of  official  life.  There  is  no 
disposition  among  decent  and  common-sense  thinkers  to  attach 
any  political  significance  to  the  inception  and  execution  of  the 
deed,  although  no  one  denies  that  the  consequential  political 
circumstances  are  somewhat  uncertain  and  unsettling.  Mr.  Gar- 
field  was  exceedingly  popular  in  western  New  York,  and  the 
best  that  can  be  hoped  for  the  land  if  he  shall  die  is  that  power 
and  responsibility  will  make  his  constitutional  successor  fit  to 
wear  his  mantle.  At  this  writing  the  fate  of  the  Executive  is 
still  undecided,  but  the  people  are  hoping  faintly  against  strong 
fears.  The  Rochester  Union  (Democrat),  commenting,  says : 
"  While  the  life  of  no  man  is  necessary  to  the  administration  of 
our  Government  or  the  stability  of  our  institutions,  the  taking 
off  of  the  Chief  Magistrate  by  violence  at  any  time  or  under  any 
circumstances  would  be  a  great  public  calamity.  More  especially 
would  that  be  the  case  now,  in  the  anomalous  political  situation 
that  exists.  Ordinarily,  the  country  is  the  witness  of  party 
feeling  between  the  two  great  parties  running  high.  Now  it  is 
a  feud  in  the  party  of  the  Administration,  the  President  at  the 
head  of  one  faction,  and  the  Vice-President  at  the  head  of 
another,  that  forces  itself  upon  the  unwilling  attention  of  the 
people.  The  succession  of  the  latter  to  the  Presidency  in  case 
of  the  decease  of  the  former  would  produce  more  of  a  jar  than 
a  change  of  Administration  as  the  result  of  a  regular  party  con- 
test, and  is  not  to  be  desired.  President  Garfield's  recovery  is 
devoutly  to  be  wished." 

The  Rochester  Express  (Republican)  says:  "The  political 
consequences  that  would  result  from  President  Garfield's  decease 
would  be  serious,  but  need  not  now  be  considered.  The  inex- 
cusable neglect  of  Congress  in  not  providing,  as  usual,  for  the 
succession  if  both  President  and  Vice-President  should  die,  will 
now  be  forcibly  brought  to  mind.  Our  approaching  national 
anniversary  will  be  spent  in  despondency  and  sadness,  unless  en- 


162  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

couraging  intelligence  from  Washington  shall  before  then  roll 
over  the  land  like  a  wave  of  gladness.  To-morrow  will  be  the 
most  remarkable  Sabbath  that  our  people  have  ever  known.  It 
will  be  most  emphatically  a  day  of  prayer.  Persons  who  have 
never  believed  in  Providential  interference  will  hope  now  that 
there  is  something  in  the  doctrine,  and  that  an  arm  stronger 
than  that  of  man  may  be  outstretched  for  our  deliverance  from 
this  impending  disaster." 

HAKTFORD,  CONN. 

The  first  news  of  the  shooting  of  President  Garfield  caused 
an  excitement  like  that  which  followed  the  news  of  the 
assassination  of  Lincoln,  sixteen  years  ago.  Small  groups  of 
men  gathered  around  the  bulletins,  and,  as  if  blown  by  the 
wind,  the  news  spread  far  and  wide,  and  the  little  groups  grew 
to  thousands  of  people  that,  upon  busy  corners  and  near  the 
mercantile  marts,  blocked  the  way  and  left  no  thoroughfares. 
There  was  a  pretence  of  carrying  on  business  as  usual,  but  it  was 
done  only  in  a  half-hearted  way,  for  the  people  were  completely 
absorbed  in  the  unusual  event  of  the  morning,  and  trade  and 
commerce  were  ignored  for  the  time.  The  news  was  at  first 
generally  disbelieved,  and  it  was  only  when  the  second  and  third 
despatches  were  bulletined  that  the  first  incredulity  gave  way  to 
reluctant  belief.  On  a  corner  a  group  of  men  were  discussing 
the  news,  and  one  suggested  that  there  was  one  important  omis- 
sion, and  that  there  should  have  been  a  despatch  announcing  the 
death  of  the  assassin  soon  after  the  shooting.  Among  the  brokers 
there  was  no  special  disturbance.  Stocks  were  slightly  affected, 
but  there  were  no  orders  to  sell,  and  the  recovery  in  quotations 
was  prompt.  Several  persons  here,  among  them  ex-Gov.  Jewell, 
have  known  the  assassin  thoroughly,  and  speak  of  him  as  a  man 
of  unsound  mind.  They  agree  in  his  craving  for  notoriety  at 
any  price,  and  as  to  the  extravagant  claims  he  made  for  himself, 
and  his  greed  for  office  that  was  absurdly  beyond  Ms  powers. 

KALEIGH,  N.  O. 

There  is  great  excitement  here  over  the  news  of  the  shooting 
of  President  Garfield.  An  indignation  meeting  has  been  called 
for  8.30  o'clock  to-night,  and  will  be  addressed  by  leading  men 
without  regard  to  party. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  163 


PATERSON,   N.  J. 

The  news  of  the  shooting  of  President  Garfield  was  received 
here  with  incredulity  at  first,  but  when  the  intelligence  was  con- 
firmed there  was  a  profound  feeling  of  sorrow  and  shame  that 
this  disgrace  and  misfortune  should  for  a  second  time  fall  upon 
the  nation.  The  city  had  been  preparing  for  the  coming  cele- 
bration of  the  national  holiday,  and  the  sudden  change  from 
buoyant  hope  and  confidence  in  the  general  prosperity  and  hap- 
piness of  the  country  caused  a  deep  revulsion  in  the  popular 
Tnind.  Everywhere  people  go  about  with  lengthened  faces, 
anxiously  inquiring  as  to  the  latest  reported  condition  of  the 
President,  and  sadly  speculating  at  the  probable  outcome  of  this 
terrible  affair.  Republicans  and  Democrats  alike  are  profoundly 
disturbed  at  the  probable  accession  to  the  Presidency  of  Vice- 
President  Arthur,  with  the  consequence  that  Conkling  shall  be 
the  President  de  facto,  and  a  general  revolution  in  every  depart- 
ment of  the  Administration.  People  of  all  parties  were  just 
looking  forward  to  an  era  of  prosperity  and  of  sound  adminis- 
tration under  President  Garfield,  and  the  disaster  has  produced 
a  terrible  shock  to  all.  There  were  many  who  felt  intensely 
dissatisfied  that  the  indignant  crowd  in  Washington  was  not 
permitted  to  wreak  summary  vengeance  on  the  assassin  of  the 
President.  Many  declared  that  the  proper  disposition  of  him 
would  have  been  to  have  held  him  under  the  grinding  wheels 
of  the  railroad  train  which  was  to  have  carried  President  Gar- 
field  away,  and  to  have  thus  ground  him  to  mince-meat.  While 
it  seems  incredible  that  a  sane  man  could  have  done  so  desperate 
and  utterly  inexcusable  a  deed,  the  feeling  is  quite  general  that 
it  would  be  best  to  execute  him  first,  and  try  the  question  of  his 
sanity  afterwards. 

ATLANTA,  GA. 

Gen.  Toombs  was  in  the  telegraph  office  when  the  first  tele- 
gram of  the  shooting  of  President  Garfield  came.  He  walked 
to  the  hotel  and  spread  the  news,  which  created  a  sensation  such 
as  has  been  seldom  known  in  the  history  of  Atlanta.  All  deeply 
deplored  the  sad  intelligence.  Mayor  English  called  a  meeting, 
and,  on  two  hours'  notice,  over  a  thousand  of  the  best  people  in 
the  city  had  gathered.  Gov.  Colquitt  presided,  and  spoke  feel- 


164  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

ingly  of  the  public  calamity.  Congressman  Hammond  presented 
the  following  resolutions  in  a  speech  expressing  the  sympathy  of 
the  people : 

Resolved,  That  we,  as  citizens  of  Atlanta,  received  the  tele- 
graphic announcement  of  the  shooting  of  James  A.  Garfield, 
President  of  the  United  States,  this  morning,  with  the  pro- 
foundest  regret  and  horror. 

Resolved,  That  to  him  and  his  family  we  tender  our  deepest 
sympathy  in  their  affliction. 

Resolved,  That  we  join  with  all  in  the  prayer  that  his  life 
may  be  spared  for  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  the  high  office 
to  which  he  was  elected. 

Ex-Senator  Gordon,  Senator  Brown,  ex-Governor  Bullock, 
Chief-Justice  Jackson,  and  others  spoke,  and  the  resolutions 
were  adopted  by  a  unanimous  rising  vote.  Gov.  Colquitt  sent  a 
telegram  in  behalf  of  the  people  of  Georgia,  expressing  their 
sympathy  and  prayers  for  the  President's  recovery.  Senator 
Hill  was  kept  from  the  meeting  by  sickness,  but  says  he  heartily 
sympathized  with  it  and  is  deeply  saddened  at  the  news.  Justice 
Woods,  of  the  Supreme  Court,  says  he  is  thankful  it  cannot 
be  contorted  into  political  significance.  Bob  Toombs  says  it  is 
a  great  calamity,  and  will  degrade  the  morals  of  the  people. 

VICKSBURG,  MISS. 

The  first  news  of  the  President's  assassination  was  received  by 
way  of  New  Orleans,  the  Commercial  announcing  on  its  bulletin 
board  that  such  a  report  had  been  received  by  the  New  Orleans 
press.  No  credence  was  at  first  given  to  the  report,  and  its  con- 
firmation by  a  special  to  the  Herald  from  Washington  was 
received  with  horror.  The  noon  despatches,  which  gave  an  idea 
of  slight  danger,  were  joyfully  received,  and  not  until  the  later 
despatches  announced  the  President's  almost  hopeless  condition 
did  people  realize  the  terrible  extent  of  the  crime.  The  call, 
through  the  Evening  Commercial,  for  a  mass  meeting  was  nobly 
responded  to.  The  Rev.  C.  K.  Marshall  was  called  to  the  chair. 
A  short  prayer  was  then  offered  by  the  Rev.  C.  B.  Galloway  for 
the  recovery  of  the  President,  and  invoking  the  aid  of  God  to 
quell  the  passions  of  the  people  in  this  enlightened  age,  and 
render  the  value  of  human  life  greater  than  it  now  seems  to  be. 
Mr.  Marshall  addressed  the  meeting,  and  in  a  very  affecting 


PRESIDENT  GAUFIELD.  165 

manner  reflected  the  sorrow  of  the  whole  community.  The  fol- 
lowing resolutions  were  adopted: 

Whereas,  Our  free  Government,  resting  on  the  consent  of 
the  governed,  was  founded  by  our  fathers  to  maintain  life, 
liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness ; 

Whereas,  The  peace,  safety,  and  life  of  our  Government,  our 
families,  ourselves,  and  all  we  hold  sacred  and  dear  depend  on 
the  preservation  of  law  and  order; 

Whereas,  Murder  in  its  most  vicious  form  is  that  which  is 
committed  by  the  assassin's  hand,  and 

Whereas,  We  have  heard  with  horror  that  a  cowardly  assassin 
has  attempted  to  take  the  life  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States— therefore,  be  it 

Jtesolved,  That  we,  the  people  of  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  without 
regard  to  race,  color,  or  condition,  condemn  the  act  of  the 
assassin  who  attempted  to-day  to  take  the  life  of  James  A.  Gar- 
field,  President  of  the  United  States,  as  a  base  and  cowardly 
deed,  subversive  of  our  Government,  destructive  to  the  peace 
and  order  of  society,  repugnant  to  the  laws  and  to  the  sense  of 
the  whole  civilized  world. 

fiesolved,  That  we  offer  our  condolence  to  the  nation  for  the 
calamity  which  has  befallen  us,  and  our  heartfelt  sympathies  to 
the  stricken  members  of  his  family. 

THE  FEELING  IN  OHIO. 

INTENSE    EXCITEMENT    THROUGHOUT    THE     STATE COMMENTS    OF 

THE    PRESS. 

COLUMBUS,  0.,  Juiy  3. — The  intense  excitement  throughout 
the  State  has  not  diminished  in  the  least,  and  thousands  have 
crowded  around  the  bulletin  boards  and  telegraph  offices  during 
the  entire  day.  Governor  Foster  has  been  in  the  Executive 
office  during  the  day  receiving  and  sending  despatches  to  nearly 
every  part  of  the  State.  In  accordance  with  the  proclamation 
of  the  Governor,  Mayor  Peters  has  issued  a  request  that,  the 
^recommendations  be  fully  carried  out.  The  proclamation  was 
read  from  the  pulpits  to-night  in  all  the  principal  cities  and 
towns  in  the  State,  and  it  is  probable  that  divine  service  will  be 
held  in  the  morning  by  all  denominations.  The  following  is  a 
double-leaded  editorial  from  the  Times,  Democratic  organ,  and 
receives  the  unqualified  approval  of  every  one : 


166  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

It  would  be  too  monstrous  for  human  belief  to  think  that 
any  sane  man  could  have  a  possible  motive,  either  political  or 
personal,  for  the  murder  of  James  A.  Garfield,  a  man  of  noble 
and  lofty  character,  of  broad  and  liberal  views,  of  the  most 
genial  personal  deportment  and  bearing.  His  very  warmest 
personal  friends  were  his  most  radical  political  opponents.  His 
political  antagonism  bred  no  personal  animosities.  If  disap- 
pointment in  search  of  office  led  to  this  diabolical  crime,  then, 
indeed,  the  country  needs  a  cessation  of  professional  office- 
holding.  The  attempted  assassination  of  President  Jackson 
years  ago  by  a  lunatic  had  been  forgotten,  when  the  villainous 
hand  of  John  Wilkes  Booth  sent  President  Lincoln  to  a  pre- 
mature grave.  Nothing  since  the  death  of  Lincoln  has  so 
shocked  and  amazed  the  country  as  the  assault  upon  President 
Garfield.  It  is  a  crime  too  monstrous  to  discuss  with  modera- 
tion so  soon  after  its  perpetration.  The  speedy  arrest  of  the 
assassin  but  ill  compensates  for  the  blow  struck  at  the  public 
welfare.  The  country  hoped  much  and  had  reason  to  hope 
much  from  President  Garfield's  great  natural  ability  and  ac- 
knowledged statesmanship.  The  factional  fight  in  his  party 
boded  no  evil  to  the  country,  but  rather  good.  The  fate  of 
the  Republic  does  not  depend  upon  parties ;  it  will  survive  them 
all,  and  still  stand  the  wonder  and  admiration  of  the  world. 
Its  fate  will  not  depend  upon  the  life  of  President  Garfield, 
although  the  country  will  sadly  miss  his  services,  now  that  it  is 
entering  upon  the  road  to  prosperity  which  he  did  his  share  in 
shaping.  Many  foolish  persons  on  the  streets  insist  that  the 
empire  alone  would  save  the  country.  Shame  !  shame !  Sacri- 
lege at  the  very  doors  of  death,  and  in  the  vestibule  of  the 
nation's  temple  of  woe !  If  the  assassin  would  seek  the  life  of 
a  man  of  such  grand  human  traits  as  James  A.  Garfield,  a 
thousand  assassins  would  stand  ready  to  slay  a  tyrant.  No,  no, 
the  empire  will  not  come.  The  death  of  the  President  will 
not  take  the  life  of  the  Republic.  It  will  live  on,  supported  by 
the  love  and  the  loyalty  of  the  people;  and  while  the  people  mourn 
for  the  dead,  they  will  remember  and  emulate  his  many  virtues, 
while  they  will  bury  in  oblivion  whatever  of  faults  he  may  have 
had.  Twice  have  we  been  called  upon  to  write  of  the  assassi- 
nation of  the  nation's  Chief  Magistrate.  We  are  too  heart-sick 
to  follow  up  the  subject,  to  comment  upon  this  most  unpro- 
voked ancl  most  unexpected  atrocity.  We  refer  our  readers  to 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  167 

the  terrible  details  elsewhere.  To  Mrs.  Garfield  a  nation's  deep 
sympathy  will  be  unstintingly  extended. 

The  Ohio  State  Journal,  in  a  carefully  considered  article, 
will  say : 

We  have  neither  time,  space,  nor  inclination  to  speak  at 
length  of  these  causes  at  present.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  they 
are  almost  wholly  un-American  and  must  be  destroyed,  root  and 
branch,  if  this  Republic  is  to  live,  and  if  liberty  is  to  have  an 
abiding  place  on  the  footstool  of  the  Creator.  We  are  unpre- 
pared to  adopt  any  of  the  theories  which  have  been  advanced 
to  account  for  Guiteau's  crime.  We  prefer  to  wait  for  the 
facts.  It  may  be  the  result  of  a  conspiracy  on  the  part  of  a  fac- 
tion to  seize  the  control  of  the  Government,  for  the  purpose  of 
rewarding  its  friends  and  punishing  its  enemies;  but  we  are  con- 
strained to  say  that  that  theory  strikes  us  as  incredible,  and  the 
evidences  to  support  it  are  insufficient.  It  may  be  that  criminals, 
driven  to  the  wall,  driven  to  desperation,  and  seeing  no  hope  of 
escape  save  through  a  change  of  administration,  conspired  to- 
gether to  compass  the  death  of  the  President,  and  furnished 
this  medium  with  the  means  and  fortified  him  with  the  motives 
of  gaining  an  infamous  immortality.  No  one,  however,  should 
jump  to  that  conclusion,  for  the  proofs  are  lacking.  It  may  be 
that  men  in  office  and  men  who  expect  office  in  certain  contin- 
gencies, men  who  expected  to  be  dismissed  by  the  present  Ad- 
ministration, or  installed  in  office  in  the  event  of  a  change,  have 
egged  on  this  crazy  villain  to  murder  the  President,  but  up  to 
this  writing  there  are  not  sufficient  facts  upon  which  to  base 
such  a  conclusion.  In  our  judgment,  too  much  stress  is  laid 
on  Guiteau's  alleged  insanity.  If  insane  at  all  he  is  insane 
in  the  sense  that  murderers  are  and  thousands  of  enthusiasts 
who  can  entertain  but  one  idea  at  a  time  are  insane.  In  that 
>onse  no  sane  man  ever  committed  murder.  A  man  who  can 
plan  a  murder,  provide  himself  with  implements  of  death,  and 
so  time  his  movements  as  to  make  sure  of  his  work  and  prob- 
ably escape,  is  sane  enough  to  be  put  to  death,  and  the  law  is 
sadly  defective  in  that  it  does  not  prescribe  the  same  penalty 
for  an  attempt  to  kill  that  it  does  in  the  event  of  success.  This 
plea  of  insanity  has  been  pressed  too  far,  and  lawyers  and 
courts  ought  to  understand  by  this  time  that  the  people  are 
growing  wonderfully  restive  and  impatient  because  of  it.  The 
successful  interposition  of  that  plea  is  the  cause  of  more  law- 


168  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

lessness,  mobs,  lynchings,  and  murders  than  any  other  one  thing 
known  in  America.  Though  necessarily  alarmed  and  indignant, 
the  American  people  can  afford,  to  keep  cool,  for  in  the  lan- 
guage of  President  Garfield,  used  upon  the  occasion  of  the  mur- 
der of  one  of  his  predecessors,  "  God  reigns  and  the  Govern- 
ment at  Washington  still  exists.  No  assassin  can  destroy  ih&'< 
Government  so  long  as  the  love  of  liberty  and  law  has  a  home 
in  the  hearts  of  the  American  people." 

BOSTON,  MASS.,  July  4,  1881. 

The  following  despatch  was  sent  from  the  Israelites  of  Boston 
to-day : 

NEW  ERA  HALL,  July  4,  1881. 
Hon.  James  G.  Blaine,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington,  D.  C. : 

The  Israelites  of  Boston,  in  convention  assembled,  extend 
their  heartfelt  sympathy  for  President  Garfield  and  their  intense 
indignation  at  the  outrage  committed  on  our  honored  Executive. 
Convey  our  profound  sorrow  and  tenderest  sympathy  to  Mrs. 
Garfield  and  family.  Our  prayers  are  fervently  offered  that  the 
President  may  recover  and  live  to  fulfil  the  promise  of  his  grand 
career  at  the  helm  of  our  beloved  country. 

Edward  S.  Goulston,  chairman ;  Charles  Morse,  Israel  Cohn 
and  Isaac  Rosnosky,  committee. 

CINCINNATI,  OHIO,  July  4,  1881. 

A  Sabbath  stillness  characterized  the  city  to-day.  Prayer- 
meetings  were  held  at  noon  in  several  churches,  and  many  prayer- 
meetings  will  be  held  to-night.  The  Western  Union  Telegraph 
Company  is  using  its  wires  without  intermission  both  night  and 
day,  the  entire  force  of  operators  being  employed  to  the  extent 
of  their  endurance  in  working  extra  time.  The  old  men  and 
women  of  the  Cincinnati  Pioneer  Association  to-day  sent  a  letter 
of  condolence  to  Mrs.  Eliza  Garfield,  mother  of  the  President, 
and  a  similar  message  to  the  wife  of  the  President. 

NEWPORT,  R.  I,  July  4,  1881. 

A  public  meeting  to  express  sympathy  for  the  President  and 
his  wife  was  held  here  to-day  in  Zion  Episcopal  Church,  where 
the  leading  citizens  of  the  place  assembled.  Stirring  addresses, 
were  made. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  169 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.,  July  4,  1881. 

Governor  Cullom  had  an  appointment  to  address  the  people  of 
Lake  county  to-day,  but  in  view  of  the  condition  of  the  Presi- 
dent he  instead  issued  a  letter,  in  which  he  says  :  "  While  the 
Chief  Magistrate  of  the  nation  lies  upon  a  bed  of  pain,  and  pen 
haps  of  death,  it  seems  to  me  befitting  the  seriousness  of  thi 
hour,  and  in  conformity  with  suggestive  obligations  of  duty, 
that  your  Governor  should  not  absent  himself  from  the  capital 
of  the  State,  and  that  the  public  rejoicing  with  which  I  hopei 
to  greet  you  should,  in  our  joint  sorrow,  be  changed  into  ami 
concentrated  in  a  heartfelt  prayer  for  the  speedy  recovery  of  our 
honored  and  beloved  President.  The  occasion  is  more  eloquent 
than  language,  and  I  need  hardly  commend  to  you  and  all 
others  commemorating  our  nation's  birth  an  obvious  thought — 
even  this  sorrowful  incident  is  a  fervid  witness  to  personal  free« 
dom  under  the  government  of  the  United  States — to  its  per- 
petuity, which  hangs  not  upon  any  single  life,  either  of  citizen 
or  President,  and  to  its  strength — before  which  all  the  provisions 
of  liberty  shall  remain  fertile — and  through  which  all  offences 
against  law  shall  meet  just  punishment. 

WORCESTER,  MASS.,  July  4,  1881. 

A  union  prayer-meeting  was  held  here  in  Mechanics'  Hall  at 
noon  to-day.  Fifteen  hundred  persons  were  present.  Prayers 
were  offered  by  the  leading  clergymen.  Senator  Hoar  address- 
ed the  meeting  at  considerable  length.  He  said :  "  All  the  citi- 
zens here  feel  as  though  their  first-born  was  lying  at  the  point  of 
death.  There  are  times  when  we  realize  most  deeply  what  we 
owe  to  our  country.  This  is  such  an  occasion,  and  no  courage, 
no  comfort  except  that  which  comes  to  Christian  hearts  from 
God's  Word,  can  meet  our  wants.  All  pain  must  find  relief  in 
some  articulate  cry,  but  the  only  cry  that  can  alleviate  our  pain 
is  that  cry  to  God  which  His  ministers  can  best  utter.  The  love 
of  the  people  for  the  President  is  not  misplaced.  He  has  a 
great,  brave,  affectionate  heart.  He  loves  his  country.  He  has 
a  high  conception  of  a  pure  administration  ;  and  if  we  are  to 
lose  him  it  will  be  the  greatest  single  calamity  except  the  death 
of  Lincoln  that  has  ever  fallen  upon  this  country. 

Senator  Hoar  spoke  of  his  own  close  personal  relations  with 
the  President  and  of  his  glorious  New  England  ancestry  who 
participated  in  the  first  struggle  of  the  Revolution.  "Their 
8 


170  THE  ASSASSINATION  Of 

noble  qualities,"  said  Senator  Hoar,  "have  descended  to  him. 
God  grant  that  this  precious  life,  this  brave  soul,  this  teeming 
brain  may  be  spared.  God  grant  that  in  this  hour  of  peril  all 
may  share  the  faith  and  courage  which  fill  his  own  soul." 

CHEYENNE,  W.  T.,  July  4,  1881. 

A  mass-meeting  of  citizens  was  held  to-day  and  passed  reso- 
lutions expressing  sorrow  and  sincere  sympathy  with  President. 
Garfield  and  condoling  with  Mrs.  Garfield.  The  resolutions 
were  telegraphed  to  Secretary  Blaine,  by  Delegate  Post. 
Speeches  were  made  by  Governor  Hoyt,  Secretary  Morgan, 
Chief  Justice  Sener,  Associate  Justice  Peck,  General  A.  G. 
Brackett  and  a  number  of  clergymen.  The  city  had  been  dec- 
orated gayly  for  the  Fourth,  but  the  decorations  were  all  taken 
down.  The  people  are  bowed  in  sorrow. 

WILKESBARRE,  PA.,  July  4,  1881. 

Owing  to  the  great  calamity  which  has  befallen  the  whole  na- 
tion no  demonstration  was  made  here  to-day.  The  excitement 
at  the  various  bulletins  concerning  the  welfare  of  the  President 
is  increasing. 

LANCASTER,  OHIO,  July  4,  1881. 

All  the  churches  united  in  a  prayer-meeting  for  the  imperilled 
life  of  the  beloved  President  to-day,  and  to-night  a  pall  has  set- 
tled over  the  city.  Hundreds  of  people  are  in  the  streets  fever- 
ishly awaiting  the  woeful  intelligence  that  is  momentarily  ex- 
pected. 

ELBERON,  LONG  BRANCH,  N.  J.,  July  4,  1881. 

The  bulletins  received  this  afternoon  from  Washington  made 
everybody  here  joyful.  The  less  favorable  bulletins  to-night 
have  caused  a  revulsion  of  feeling,  and  sad  and  anxious  faces  are 
seen  everywhere.  Especially  are  the  evidences  of  grief  notice- 
able among  the  guests  of  the  Elberon  Hotel,  where  President 
Garfield  had  lately  stopped.  There  were  no  festive  demonstra- 
tions at  all  here  to-day,  the  Mayor  having  prohibited  the  explo- 
sion of  fireworks  or  powder,  because  of  the  nation's  impending 
calamity. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  171 


SOUTHERN  GRIEF  AND  ANXIETY. 

COLUMBUS,  GA.,  July  4,  1881. 

At  a  public  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  this  city,  held  in  the 
Opera  House  to-day,  the  following  resolution  was  unanimously 
adopted : 

Resolved,  That  the  chairman  of  this  meeting  be  requested  to 
send  the  following  by  telegraph  to  the  Hon.  James  G.  Elaine, 
as  expressive  of  the  unanimous  sentiment  of  this  community. 

COLUMBUS,  GA.,  July  4, 1881. 
To  the  Hon.  James  G.  £laine,  Secretary  of  State  : 

The  people  of  Columbus,  Ga.,  at  a  public  meeting  assembled, 
express  their  great  abhorrence  at  the  attempted  assassination  of 
the  President  of  the  United  States.  They  deplore  the  act  as  a 
public  calamity  and  resent  it  as  a  national  outrage.  Please  sig- 
nify these  sentiments  to  the  President,  and  assure  him  of  our 
earnest  wish  for  his  recovery ;  also  express  to  Mrs.  Garfield  our 
warmest  sympathies  in  her  great  affliction. 

MARTIN  J.  CRAWFORD,  Chairman. 

WALTER  H.  JOHNSON,  Secretary. 

RICHMOND,  VA.,  July  4, 1881. 

It  is  suggested  here  that  Dr.  Hunter  Maguire,  of  this  city,  who 
was  medical  director  of  Stonewall  Jackson's  corps  and  is  noted 
as  a  surgeon,  be  invited  to  Washington  for  the  purpose  of  exam- 
ining the  President's  wounds.  He  has  made  the  treatment  of 
gunshot  wounds  a  specialty.  It  is  said  that  Dr.  Maguire  has 
expressed  an  urgent  wish  to  examine  the  President's  case,  and, 
if  possible,  to  give  the  distinguished  patient  the  benefit  of  his 
experience.  Of  course  Dr.  Maguire,  observing  professional 
etiquette,  would  not  go  to  Washington  unless  specially  invited 
to  do  so. 

AUGUSTA,  GA.,  July  4,  1881. 

The  City  Council  of  Augusta  has  adopted  resolutions  express- 
ing sorrow  and  indignation  at  the  attempt  to  assassinate  Presi- 
dent Garfield,  extending  sympathy  to  his  family  and  expressing 
the  hope  that  the  President  would  be  spared  to  discharge  for 
the  good  of  the  country  the  important  duties  of  his  exalted  of- 


172  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

fice.     Mayor  May  was  instructed  to  telegraph  the  resolutions  to 
the  Department  of  State. 

STATJNTON,  VA.,  July  4,  1881. 

The  most  intense  sorrow  prevails  in  this  city  in  consequence 
of  the  President's  condition.  Business  is  almost  entirely  sus- 
pended, and  crowds  gather  around  the  bulletin  boards.  A  large 
meeting  of  the  citizens  was  held  to-night,  and  resolutions  of 
sympathy  for  President  Garfield  were  adopted.  A.  H.  H. 
Stuart,  Secretary  of  the  Interior  under  President  Fillmore,  pre- 
sided, and  a  number  of  addresses  appropriate  to  the  occasion 
were  delivered. 

LTNCHBTTKG,  VA.,  July  4, 1881. 

The  most  intense  solicitude  is  manifested  here  by  men  of  all 
politicial  parties  in  the  fate  of  the  President,  and  nothing  but  a 
sense  of  horror  and  indignation  is  expressed  at  the  great  crime 
against  him  and  against  the  Republic.  Prayers  were  offered 
yesterday  in  all  the  churches  for  his  speedy  recovery. 

MOBILE,  ALA.,  July  4,  1881. 

Great  excitement  still  prevails  in  the  city,  and  the  universal 
expression  is  one  of  horror  at  the  crime.  Crowds  congregate- 
around  the  telegraph  office  and  deep  sympathy  is  being  felt. 
Bulletins  are  anxiously  expected. 

CHARLESTON,  S.  C.,  July  4,  1881. 

The  State  Society  of  Cincinnati  to-day  adopted  unanimously 
resolutions  of  indignation  at  and  sorrow  for  the  attempted  assas- 
sination of  President  Garfield,  which  is  aggravated  by  the  fact 
of  its  commission  almost  on  the  eve  of  the  anniversary  of  Ameri- 
can independence.  They  express  their  sympathy  with  their 
fellow-citizen,  the  President,  who  has  been  exposed  to  the 
weapon  of  the  assassin  because  he  was  conscientiously  discharg- 
ing his  duty  to  his  countrymen  in  the  exalted  office  to  which  he 
was  called  by  the  suffrages  of  a  free  people. 

FREDERICKSBURG,  VA.,  July  4,  1881. 

The  attempted  assassination  of  the  President  has  excited  feel- 
ings of  the  most  intense  indignation  here.  Resolutions  of  the 
Mayor  and  Council  expressing  detestation  of  the  crime  and  solici- 
tude for  the  President's  wife  were  telegraphed  to  the  Secretary 


PRESIDENT  OARFIELD.  173 

of  State  on  Saturday  night,  and  yesterday  prayers  were  offered 
in  all  the  churches  for  his  recovery.  Telegrams  from  Wash- 
ington are  awaited  anxiously  to  a  late  hour  by  all  classes  to 
learn  the  latest  bulletins  from  the  physicians  in  attendance  upon 
the  Chief  Magistrate. 

GALVESTON,  TEXAS,  July  4,  1881. 

Specials  to  the  News  from  all  over  this  State  report  that 
the  people  everywhere  in  the  State  condemn,  in  the  strongest 
terms,  the  attempted  assassination  of  the  President.  Expressions 
of  the  most  profound  sympathy  and  deepest  sorrow  are  pouring 
in  from  all  points.  The  prevailing  opinion  is  that  it  was  the 
work  of  a  madman. 

NEW  C-RLEANS7LA.,  July  4,  1881. 

Business  is  suspended,  and  eager  crowds  constantly  surround 
the  bulletin  boards  seeking  news  as  to  the  condition  of  the 
President.  A  meeting  of  colored  people,  called  to  dedicate  St. 
James's  Hall,  an  institution  of  learning,  adopted  resolutions  of 
sympathy  and  condolence  in  behalf  of  President  Garfield,  and 
forwarded  them  to  his  family  through  the  Secretary  of  State. 
The  Hancock  Club  adopted  resolutions  of  profound  regret  and 
indignation  at  the  dastardly  attempt  on  the  life  of  the  President, 
praying  that  his  life  may  be  spared,  to  the  end  that  the  honor 
and  integrity  of  American  institutions  may  be  sustained,  and  the 
administration  of  the  Government  continued  under  his  conserva- 
tive, wise,  and  just  control 


174  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 


COMMENTS  OF  THE  PEESS. 


PROBABLY  no  event  in  the  history  of  our  nation  has  caused 
such  deep  and  widespread  feeling  among  all  classes,  and  we 
here  present  the  feelings  as  expressed  by  the  leading  papers  in 
the  land. 

From  JV.  T.  Herald,  July  3,  1881. 

ATTEMPTED    MURDER    OF    THE    PRESIDENT. 

Another  President  of  the  United  States  has  fallen  at  the 
hands  of  an  assassin  in  but  little  more  than  sixteen  years  from 
the  time  of  the  death  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  But,  happily,  the 
murderously  intended  blow  has  fallen  short  of  its  desperate 
purpose;  for,  though  Mr.  Garfield's  present  condition  is  one  of 
great  and  pre-eminent  danger,  he  still  lives  and  has  so  far  rallied 
from  the  first  two  perils  of  his  position — shock  and  hemorrhage 
— as  to  afford  some  ground  for  the  hope  that  he  may  survive  his 
wounds. 

Should  he  die  his  fate  would  be  a  national  calamity  ;  for 
where  a  man,  called  by  the  voice  of  the  people  to  the  highest 
office  in  their  gift,  is  thus  forcibly  assailed  by  violence  and 
crime — where  the  will  of  one  wild  ruffian  is  put  against  the 
predilection  of  the  nation — the  victim  of  his  assault  is  entirely 
lifted  out  of  his  individual  character  and  attains  in  an  especial 
and  peculiar  sense  a  supremely  representative  quality;  and 
every  man  of  right  mind  feels  that  he  is  personally  wronged  by 
such  a  wrong  against  the  head  of  the  Government.  Fortunately 
there  seems  to  be  the  deepest  possible  distinction  perceptible  to 
all  between  this  crime  and  that  of  the  murder  of  President  Lin- 
coln, with  which  it  is  spontaneously  compared  in  every  man's 
thought.  That  was  the  outcome  of  fierce  political  passions ; 
an  expression  of  the  final  and  desperate  rage  with  which  the 
less  heroic  elements  of  a  conquered  people  regarded  the  man 
whom  the  conquerors  delighted  to  honor.  This,  on  the  con- 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  175 

trary,  appears  to  be  only  the  wild  act  of  a  madman.  Demon- 
stration could  hardly  make  a  fact  plainer  than  it  now  is  that 
the  assassin  was  crazy,  and  that  he  acted  under  an  insane 
impulse  in  his  conception  that  to  have  refused  him  an  office 
was  an  outrage  that  called  for  the  sacrifice  of  life. 

Within  a  few  years  the  attempt  to  murder  men  at  the  head 
of  governments  has  become  a  common  crime ;  but  we  have 
generally  assumed  that  this  was  a  vice  of  the  European  system. 
The  Kings  of  Spain  and  Italy  and  the  Emperors  of  Germany 
and  Russia  have  in  turn  been  assailed  by  these  desperate  and 
savage  attempts,  and  our  people  have  seen  in  this  only  the 
frenzy  of  the  down-trodden  masses  of  the  Old  World  driven 
to  conspiracy  as  the  one  resort  for  protest  against  a  dominion 
they  could  not  otherwise  control.  But  how  can  that  too  lenient 
view  of  this  dreadful  sort  of  butchery  be  reconciled  with  the 
fact  that  ours  is  the  only  country  in  the  world  in  which  in  our 
time  two  Chief  Magistrates  have  thus  been  stricken  down.  In 
Russia  they  recently  murdered  a  Czar,  and  if  now  they  should 
murder  another  we  would  be  apt  to  regard  that  country  as 
given  over  to  desperate  chances,  and  society  there  as  standing 
in  permanent  peril  of  the  assassin's  plans.  Yet  in  the  United 
States  one  President,  as  near  to  the  hearts  of  the  people  as  ever 
was  any  ruler  in  human  history,  was  ruthlessly  shot  down  in  a 
public  place ;  and  now  a  second,  also  a  great  popular  favorite, 
a  man  of  those  large-hearted,  amiable,  manly  traits  that  capti- 
vate and  hold  the  admiration  of  the  people,  is  brought  low  by 
the  assassin's  pistol,  and  lies  upon  a  bed  from  which  he  may 
never  arise.  If  it  be  not  demonstrated  that  this  murder  is  the 
mere  irresponsible  act  of  a  lunatic  we  must  revise  entirely  our 
ideas  of  this  kind  of  crime  ;  for  it  cannot  be  regarded  as  the 
necessary  product  of  tyranny  if  it  occurs  oftener  than  elsewhere 
in  the  freest  country  in  the  world. 

If  there  ever  was  a  man  in  high  station  who  might  have  been 
thought  absolutely  safe  from  a  fate  like  this  it  was  certainly  the 
man  who  has  now  fallen,  for  he  stood  in  the  way  of  no  man, 
and  no  men  who  could  in  any  contingency  whatever  have  been 
supposed  capable  of  reasoning  that  his  removal  by  this  method 
would  be  to  their  advantage.  In  even  the  recriminations  of 
recent  political  agitation  the  only  word  said  against  him  person- 
ally was  that  he  was  of  a  too  gentle  temper.  Only  madness  it 
might  well  be  thought  could  conceive  of  the  assassination  of 


176  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

the  President  as  a  remedy  for  any  imagined  evil  under  a  system 
of  government  like  ours;  but  it  must  be  a  madness  more  than 
ordinarily  removed  from  all  the  paths  of  ratiocination  that 
could  lead  to  the  fancy  that  if  great  abuses  were  possible  under 
our  government  they  could  be  practised  by  this  fair,  easy,  open- 
minded  man,  whose  whole  nature  and  character  were  as  well 
known  to  the  people  as  their  own  faces  in  the  glass.  It  may  be 
a  poor  solace  to  the  stricken  ones  of  the  President's  family  to 
consider  that  the  blow  which  bids  fair  to  blight  the  life  in 
which  they  so  naturally  feel  the  most  honorable  pride  comes 
from  a  source  of  this  nature,  and  yet  there  should  be  some 
slight  consolation  in  the  thought  that  no  rational  enemy's  will 
was  behind  this  dreadful  blow.  For  that  venerable  lady  who 
lately  reflected  that  she  was  the  only  President's  mother  who 
ever  "lived  in  the  White  House ;  for  the  dear  wife  to  whom  the 
chivalrous  gentleman  sent  his  love  as  the  tender  remembrance 
of  the  first  moment  of  his  recovery  from  the  consternation  of 
the  tragic  assault;  for  the  fine  boys,  full  of  the  proud  regard 
that  sons  must  feel  for  such  a  father,  there  cannot  but  be  some 
satisfaction  in  the  thought  that  no  man  of  the  American  people 
possessed  of  his  reason  could  feel  towards  the  son,  husband,  and 
father  a  murderous  hate  that  could  strike  at  his  life ;  and  they 
may  well  feel  comforted  and  helped  by  a  national  sympathy 
deep  and  tender  which  desires  the  recovery  of  their  beloved  one 
with  an  earnestness  and  ardor  that  can  yield  only  to  their  own. 

By  the  regular  gradation  of  our  constitutional  law,  familiar 
to  the  whole  people,  Vice-President  Arthur  will  succeed  to  the 
position  of  Mr.  Garfield  in  case  he  should  die,  and  thus  for  the 
fourth  time  in  forty  years  the  great  importance  of  this  second- 
ary office  has  been  shown.  But  for  this  change  of  persons  the 
President's  death  can  cause  no  political  changes  in  a  national 
sense,  whatever  may  happen  in  a  party  sense.  Those  whom  a 
hasty  generalization  is  likely  to  put  into  the  position  of  men  to 
be  benefited  in  party  respects  by  this  change  are  wise  and  just 
to  act  in  any  way  save  one  likely  to  impress  deeply  and  cer- 
tainly upon  the  minds  of  the  people  the  conviction  that  they  do 
not  want  to  be  held  responsible  for  any  such  view  of  this  tragic 
and  most  lamentable  event,  and  that  they  would  be  the  last  of 
all  men  to  desire  such  advantage. 

It  is  plain  and  clear  enough  to  our  own  people  that  the  trag- 
edy has  no  political  relations  and  is  only  an  expression  of  the 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  177 

insane  impulse  of  an  individual.  But  abroad,  where  they 
imagine  us  from  late  agitations  to  be  in  a  fever  of  revolution, 
and  where  they  do  not  know  that  the  limit  of  party  passion 
never  rises  to  this  height,  the  event  will  be  misunderstood  and 
misinterpreted  and  commented  upon  as  one  of  the  growing  evila 
of  our  system. 

From  New  York  Times,  July  3,  1881. 

THE    ASSASSINATION. 

In  the  crime  which  was  committed  at  Washington  yesterday 
there  is  the  very  irony  of  fate.  Considering  his  origin  and  the 
circumstances  of  his  youth,  no  man  has  passed  a  career  more 
remarkable  or  attained  a  dignity  more  striking  than  that  of 
President  Garfield.  Beginning  life  the  son  of  an  almost  penni- 
less widow,  forced  to  struggle  as  few  men  must  for  the  bare 
maintenance  of  an  equality  with  his  fellow-men,  he  has  risen 
step  by  step  to  one  of  the  most  honorable  positions  offered  by 
the  government  of  any  nation.  It  was  his  fortune  to  fall  upon 
a  time  when  great  opportunities  awaited  great  qualities,  and  to 
all  occasions  he  presented  qualities  not  unworthy  of  them.  He 
entered  manhood  as  the  political  contest  with  slavery  approached 
its  crisis,  and  he  threw  all  the  energies  of  a  strong  nature  on 
the  side  of  freedom.  From  the  field  of  discussion  and  the  bal- 
lot the  conflict  with  slavery  was  taken  to  the  field  of  war,  and 
without  hesitation,  with  absolute  devotion,  with  a  courage  which 
knew  no  fear,  he  entered  on  this  new  and  terrible  task.  In  all 
the  tests  of  fitness  for  the  citizenship  of  a  free  Republic  to  which 
he  was  subjected  he  won  high  distinction,  until  at  last  his  country 
called  him  to  the  greatest  office  within  its  gift.  And  this  Presi- 
dent, to  whom  Americans  had  pointed  proudly  and  justly  as  a 
splendid  example  of  what  our  country  and  its  cherished  princi- 
ples were  able  to  do  for  manhood — simple  manhood,  unfavored 
of  fortune  and  unaided  by  any  inheritance  of  title  or  precedence 
— is  shot  down  without  a  moment's  warning  by  an  assassin  whose 
hatred  was  directed  not  to  the  man  but  to  the  President. 

The  whole  country  is  bowed  with  deep  grief  and  indignation 
at  this  event.  It  is  inevitable  that  it  should  be.  There  are  few 
men  who  enjoy,  and  none  who  deserve  to  enjoy,  the  name  of 
American  citizen  to  whom  this  crime  does  not  bring  a  sense  of 
personal  Borrow  and  a  profound  feeling  of  patriotic  humiliation. 
8* 


178  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  criticisms  which  they  have  passed 
upon  the  President,  all  American  citizens  must  feel  the  "  deep 
damnation  "  of  this  attempted  "  taking  off."  He  was  an  obscure 
son  of  the  Republic  who  had  brought  to  its  most  distinguished 
post  gifts  of  mind  and  character  which  conferred  credit  on  the 
office,  and  almost  at  the  outset  of  his  term  his  life  is  assailed 
by  a  wretch  who  represents  as  distinctly  the  evil  in  our  system 
as  President  Garfield  represents  the  good.  For,  though  the 
murderer  was  obviously  of  disordered  mind,  it  is  impossible  to 
ignore  the  causes  which  led  immediately  to  this  act — which 
directed  his  ill-regulated  will  to  its  final  aim.  He  was  a  dis- 
appointed office-seeker,  and  he  linked  the  bitterness  of  his 
personal  disappointment  with  the  passionate  animosity  of  a  fac- 
tion. His  resentment  was  inflamed  and  intensified  by  the  assaults 
upon  the  President  which  have  been  common  in  too  many 
circles  for  the  past  few  months.  Certainly,  we  are  far  from 
holding  any  party  or  any  section  of  a  party  responsible  for  this 
murderous  act,  but  we  believe  it  our  duty  to  point  out  that  the 
act  was  an  exaggerated  expression  of  a  sentiment  of  narrow  and 
bitter  hatred  which  has  been  only  too  freely  indulged.  It  is 
not  too  much  to  say,  in  the  first  place,  that  if  Mr.  Garfield  had 
not  been  the  chief  of  a  service  in  which  offices  are  held  out  as 
prizes  to  men  of  much  the  same  merit  and  much  the  same  career 
as  this  murderer  he  would  not  have  been  exposed  to  this  attack. 
And  while  this  is  beyond  dispute,  it  is  also  probable  that  the 
murderer's  mad  spite  would  not  have  been  "screwed  to  the 
sticking  point"  if  it  had  not  been  stirred  by  the  license  that 
has  prevailed  in  certain  quarters  with  reference  to  the  President. 
The  event,  therefore,  is  one  which  may  and  ought  to  convey  a 
lesson,  which  should  teach  us  the  folly  and  the  wrong  of  the 
insane  pursuit  of  office  which  our  methods  of  public  employment 
invite,  which  should  show  us  the  danger  and  disgrace  of  the 
unbridled  political  passion  aroused  by  these  methods.  In  a 
certain  sense  the  act  of  Guiteau  was  an  accident,  for  it  was  en- 
lirdy  out  of  the  range  of  any  ordinary  motives,  but  it  is  not 
inexplicable;  it  is  clearly  of  those  accidents  which  bring  more 
vividly  to  the  mind  the  forces  that  create  them. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  179 

From  N.  Y.  Sun,  July  3,  1881. 

PRESIDENT    GARFIELD THE    LAND    PLUNGED    IN    MOURNING. 

James  A.  Garfield,  President  of  the  United  States,  was  shot 
and  mortally  wounded,  by  an  insane  assassin,  at  the  Baltimore 
Depot  in  Washington,  at  about  ten  o'clock  yesterday  morning. 
He  was  removed  to  the  White  House,  where  he  remains  at  the 
point  of  death. 

The  President  had  gone  to  the  depot  to  take  the  train  for 
New  York,  where,  with  several  members  of  the  Cabinet,  he  had 
an  engagement  to  dine  in  the  evening. 

No  event  since  the  assassination  of  Abraham  Lincoln  has 
created  such  a  shock.  The  sensation  of  profound  sorrow  is 
universal.  The  American  people  have  but  one  heart  to-day,  and 
it  is  overwhelmed  with  grief  at  this  sudden,  unexpected,  and 
tragic  striking  down  of  their  Chief  Executive  Magistrate. 

Fortunately,  deplorable  as  this  terrible  event  is,  and  although^ 
it  will  be  attended  by  important  personal  consequences,  the  death 
of  General  Garfield  will  have  no  political  significance.  It  was 
not  the  work  of  a  party  or  of  a  faction,  but  was  perpetrated  by 
one  man,  who  is  understood  to  have  been  in  a  state  of  mental 
aberration  at  the  time. 

Our  great  holiday — the  anniversary  of  the  nation's  birth — 
to-morrow  will  be  converted  into  a  day  of  universal  sorrow  over 
one  of  the  saddest  events  in  our  whole  national  history. 
The  paths  of  glory  lead  but  to  the  grave. 

From  N.  7.  Tribune,  July  3,  1881. 
FACTION'S  LATEST  CRIME. 

A  second  President  lies  stricken  down  by  assassination.  Pres- 
ident Lincoln  was  murdered,  not  by  the  rebellion,  but  by  the 
spirit  which  gave  the  rebellion  life  and  force.  President  Gar- 
field  has  been  shot  down,  not  by  a  political  faction,  but  by  the 
spirit  which  a  political  faction  has  begotten  and  nursed.  But 
for  that  spirit,  there  was  hardly  a  man  in  this  country  who 
seemed  at  sunrise  yesterday  more  safe  from  murderous  assault. 
A  great-hearted,  loving,  kindly  man,  whose  warm  and  genial 
nature  had  -made  fifty  millions  of  people  his  personal  friends, 


180  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

President  Garfield  was  immeasurably  more  popular  yesterday 
than  he  was  when  the  ballots  of  the  nation  made  him  its  Pres- 
ident. The  party  which  he  had  defeated  had  learned  to  admire 
and  love  him.  His  political  friends  were  thrilled  with  pride 
when  they  saw  that  he  had  already  accomplished,  in  only  four 
months,  more  than  other  Presidents  in  four  years  of  service. 
It  was  felt  by  friends  and  foes  that  he  was  one  of  the  ablest 
Presidents  ever  chosen,  and  the  country  looked  forward  with 
great  hope  to  the  grand  work  to  be  done  by  such  a  President 
during  the  rest  of  a  term  but  just  begun.  And  yet  to-day  the 
whole  nation  bows  in  sorrow.  The  noble  President,  the  states- 
man whose  deeds  have  already  honored  the  nation  throughout 
the  world,  the  genial  friend,  the  tender  husband  and  loving 
father,  has  fallen  by  the  shot  of  an  assassin.  There  was  no 
personal  quarrel.  It  does  not  appear  that  the  victim  had  ever 
known  or  seen  his  assailant.  There  is  absolutely  nothing  to 
account  for  this  horrible  deed,  which  to  a  great  nation  is  a  ter- 
rible calamity,  except  a  crazy  spirit  of  faction. 

Every  true  American  will  rejoice  if  it  shall  appear  that  the 
murderer  was  insane.  Yet  did  not  men  call  Booth  a  madman  ? 
Both  were  sane  enough  in  all  the  ordinary  walks  of  life ;  both 
had  passed  without  question  as  men  of  sound  minds,  ill-balanced 
indeed,  but  entirely  responsible  ;  and  both  were  sane  enough  to 
prepare  with  caution,  thoroughness,  and  precision  as  to  detail, 
for  a  deed  towards  which  they  were  moved  by  a  spirit  shared  by 
many  others.  It  does  not  appear  that  the  assassin  of  yesterday 
had  ever  been  thought  a  lunatic,  by  any  associate  or  acquain- 
tance, until  the  deadly  shots  were  fired.  Was  he  "  crazed  by 
political  excitement,"  then,  as  many  say  ?  At  what  point,  if 
ever,  did  the  madness  of  faction  become  the  madness  of  irre- 
sponsibility ?  Do  the  leaders  of  faction  ever  intend  all  the 
mischief  which  grows  from  the  wild  and  desperate  spirit  which 
they  create,  feed,  and  stimulate,  week  after  week  ?  Is  it  not 
their  constant  crime  against  self-government  that,  by  kindling 
such  a  spirit,  they  send  weak  or  reckless  men  beyond  the  bounds 
of  right  or  reason  ?  This  assassin,  it  seems,  was  not  ignorant 
that  he  was  trying  to  kill  one  President  and  to  make  another. 
His  language  and  letters  prove  that  he  knew  what  he  was  doing 
only  too  well.  As  "  a  Stalwart  of  the  Stalwarts,"  his  passion 
was  intense  enough  to  do  the  thing  which  other  reckless  men 
had  wished  were  done.  So  the  assassin  Booth  put  into  a  bloody 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  181 

deed  the  malignant  spite  of  thousands  of  beaten  rebels.  His 
deed  stands  in  history  as  the  cap-sheaf  of  the  rebellion.  So 
the  spirit  of  faction  which  fired  the  shots  of  yesterday  gaye  in 
that  act  the  most  complete  revelation  of  its  real  character. 

That  political  fanaticism  has  been  showing  itself  before  us 
all  in  many  phases  little  short  of  madness.  The  country  has 
seen  the  wildest  ravings  of  abuse  about  the  President,  and  has 
paid  little  attention — but  not  because  it  thought  the  men  who 
uttered  them  insane.  It  has  listened  to  malignant  scandals  which 
it  has  seemed  impossible  that  sane  citizens  would  utter  regard- 
ing the  Chief  Magistrate  of  their  country;  but  has  listened 
with  contempt,  fancying  that  the  fanaticism  of  faction 
would  go  no  further.  But  curses  and  threats  are  followed  at 
last  by  murderous  shots,  and  the  country  starts  with  horror. 
Never  again  will  any  sane  man  cry,  "  I  am  a  Stalwart  of  the 
Stalwarts  !"  Never  again  will  a  blind  and  furious  fanaticism 
of  faction  seem  to  sane  men  a  thing  to  boast  of.  As  Booth 
ended  the  rebellion  by  showing  what  its  real  spirit  was,  so  this 
horrid  flash  of  light,  which  shows  how  narrow  is  the  dividing 
line  between  faction's  frenzy  and  Mexican  assassination,  will 
bring  an  end,  let  us  hope,  to  a  most  shameful  phase  of  partisan- 
ship in  this  country. 

.Truly,  the  ways  of  Providence  are  inscrutable.  That  this 
grand  President,  so  great  and  good,  so  kindly  and  so  true,  whose 
life  seemed  so  full  of  promise  for  the  land,  should  be  stricken 
down,  seems  beyond  human  understanding.  And  yet,  the  Infi- 
nite Father  has  been  too  good  to  this  people  for  us  to  doubt 
that  hi|  care  is  over  us  still.  Perhaps  this  nation  needed  to  be 
taught  some  things  which  only  a  great  affliction  and  shame 
could  teach.  Perhaps  it  needed  to  be  taught  that  the  worship 
of  men  had  gone  too  far.  Perhaps  it  was  necessary  in  order  to 
save  this  country  from  gradual  Mexicanization,  to  force  home 
the  conviction  that  the  spirit  of  faction  is  at  war  with  the  very 
existence  of  free  institutions.  Must  we  not  realize,  in  the  light 
of  the  dreadful  calamity  at  Washington,  that  those  who  breed 
and  nurse  this  malignant,  selfish,  grasping,  and  desperate  spirit 
are  aiming  a  blow  at  the  life  of  the  Republic  ? 


182  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


A    BLOW    AT    REPUBLICANISM. 

The  bullet  of  the  assassin  who  lurked  in  the  Washington 
railway  station  to  take  the  life  of  President  Garfield  shattered 
the  simple  Republican  manner  of  life  which  the  custom  of  nearly 
a  century  has  prescribed  for  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  United 
States.  Our  Presidents  have  been  the  first  citizens  of  the  Repub- 
lic— nothing  more.  With  a  measure  of  power  in  their  hands 
far  greater  than  is  wielded  by  the  ruler  of  any  limited  monarchy 
in  Europe,  they  have  never  surrounded  themselves  with  the 
forms  and  safeguards  of  courts.  The  White  House  has  been  a 
business  office  open  to  everybody.  Its  occupant  has  always  been 
more  accessible  than  the  heads  of  great  commercial  establish- 
ments. When  the  passions  of  the  war  were  at  fever  heat,  Mr. 
Lincoln  used  to  have  a  small  guard  of  cavalry  when  he  rode  out 
to  his  summer  residence  at  the  Soldiers'  Home ;  but  at  no  other 
time  in  our  history  has  it  been  thought  needful  for  a  President 
to  have  any  special  protection  against  violence  when  inside  or 
outside  the  White  House.  Presidents  have  driven  about  Wash- 
ington like  other  people,  and  travelled  over  the  country  as 
unguarded  and  unconstrained  as  any  private  citizen. 

All  this,  we  fear,  must  come  to  an  end  now.  The  assassina- 
tion of  Mr.  Lincoln  was  regarded  as  the  outcome  of  the  rage  of 
the  beaten  rebellion.  When  the  war  was  fully  closed,  and  its 
fierce  anger  died  away  under  the  softening  influences  of  peace, 
no  one  thought  there  could  be  any  personal  danger  attaching  to 
the  Executive  office.  Strangers  went  every  day  to  the  Presi- 
dent's room  to  prefer  their  requests,  or  stopped  him  in  the  street 
to  shake  his  hand.  He  came  in  contact  with  multitudes  of 
unknown  people,  any  one  of  whom  could  have  shot  him  had  he 
chosen.  We  were  proud  of  the  freedom  and  simplicity  of  our 
President's  way  of  living.  Now  General  Garfield  is  stricken 
down  by  two  cruel  wounds  from  a  murderous  weapon,  in  a  time 
of  profound  peace,  when  there  is  nothing  to  stir  the  passions  of 
men  save  a  pitiful  contest  over  a  few  offices  in  a  single  State. 
Henceforth,  alas,  the  President  must  be  the  .slave  of  his  office, 
the  prisoner  of  forms  and  restrictions,  for  he  will  have  reason 
to  fear  an  assassin  in  every  crowd  that  presses  about  him,  and 
in  .every  stranger  who  seeks  to  approach  him.  Who  can  blame 
him  if  he  throws  aside  all  the  traditional  ease,  familiarity,  and 


PRESIDENT  QARFIELD.  183 

accessibility  which  have  lightened  the  labors  of  the  place  in 
times  past,  and  hedges  himself  in  with  ceremonials,  soldiers,  and 
official  restrictions  ?  Will  not  the  country  insist  that  he  should 
do  so  ?  A  President's  life  is  the  most  valuable  life  in  all  the 
land,  for  it  touches  the  interests  of  every  citizen.  It  is  far  too 
precious  to  be  left  open  to  assault  by  any  conspirator  or  mad- 
man who  wishes  to  cut  it  short. 


From  the  Philadelphia  Press. 

It  is  a  strange  and  hideous  mockery  of  reason  that  twice 
within  the  span  of  two  decades  our  Government — the  freest  and 
best  republic  on  earth — should  be  stained  with  the  blood  of  its 
highest  ruler.  The  tragic  death  of  the  beloved  Lincoln  was  the 
darkest  page  in  our  annals;  and  now  we  are  startled  with  the 
swift  and  sudden  repetition  of  that  desperate  and  execrable  deed 
which  seemed  to  tower  over  all  infamies  as  the  unapproachable 
crime  of  the  century.  The  country  stands  with  bated  breath 
to-day,  as  it  did  on  that  sad  day  sixteen  years  ago,  not  paralyzed, 
not  trembling,  not  surrendering  trust  or  hope,  not  doubtful  that 
our  institutions  are  equal  to  the  severest  strain ;  but  wondering 
at  the  cruel  fate  which  prostrates  our  cherished  leader,  and 
which  casts  over  our  enlightened  liberty  the  shadow  that  we  are 
accustomed  to  associate  only  with  the  dark  despotisms  of  the 
Old  World.  No  President  since  Lincoln  has  been  more  beloved 
than  Gen.  Garfield.  None  has  commanded  a  greater  degree  of 
public  confidence.  ...  In  the  universal  and  profound  horror 
which  it  excites,  deep  feeling  and  passion  may  associate  with 
some  political  cause  or  inspiration,  but  such  a  thought  is  too 
monstrous  to  be  entertained.  No  portion  of  the  American  peo- 
ple has  yet  descended  to  that  depravity.  We  have  not  yet 
become  so  Mexicanized  that  assassination  is  employed  as  a  polit- 
ical weapon.  This  crime,  which  plunges  a  whole  nation  into 
sorrow,  is  the  deed  of  one  maddened  fanatic,  crazed,  it  may  be, 
by  political  excitement,  and  wrought  into  a  morbid  state  by 
imaginary  wrongs,  but  representing  nothing  but  his  own  insan- 
ity. 

From  the  Baltimore  Sun. 

In  this  community  all  personal,  all  partisan  feeling  seemed 
buried  in  the  common  sentiment  of  sorrow.  While  justly,  per- 


184  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

haps,  no  political  significance  could  possibly  be  attached  to  the 
act  of  a  half-crazed  assassin,  the  nation  yet  felt  itself  struck  at  and 
wounded  in  the  person  of  its  Chief  Magistrate.  It  was  the  Presi- 
dent as  well  as  the  man  who  lay  dying  all  day  yesterday  in  the 
White  House,  and  the  whole  country  felt  that  the  threatened 
loss  and  sorrow  were  its  own.  .  .  .  Whatever  the  merits 
and  qualifications  of  Vice-President  Arthur  may  be,  it  is  very 
certain  that  he  was  never  seriously  thought  of  by  the  American 
people  in  connection  with  the  Presidential  office.  He  was 
never  named  in  the  list  of  those  upon  whom  the  choice  of  the 
Chicago  Convention  might  possibly  fall.  He  was  nominated  for 
the  second  place,  not  the  first.  Although  elected  upon  the 
same  ticket,  and  by  the  same  support,  as  President  Garfield,  he 
has  been  recognized  as  belonging  to  that  wing  of  the  Republi- 
can party  which  has  arrayed  itself  in  open  and  pronounced 
opposition  to  the  President.  His  unexpected  accession  to  the 
Presidency  would  signalize,  therefore,  a  change  of  policy  pre- 
sumably almost  as  great  as  would  follow  from  the  election  of  a 
President  of  opposite  politics. 

From  the  Boston  Traveller. 

It  is  unutterably  shameful  and  inexpressibly  sad.  Every 
friend  of  reaction,  every  enemy  of  liberty,  every  champion  of 
strong,  absolute  government  will  take  encouragement  from  this 
iniquitous  deed.  It  is  a  plea  for  the  rule  of  the  Romanoffs  and 
the  Bonapartes,  presented  at  the  bar  of  history  from  the  land 
of  George  Washington.  Every  citizen  of  the  Republic  will  feel 
to-day  the  hot  blush  of  shame  on  his  face  and  a  deep  ser.  ">f 
irreparable  wrong  at  his  heart.  It  is  a  crime  utterly  without 
excuse,  evil,  base,  and  damnable.  Words  will  wholly  fail  to 
give  expression  to  the  feelings  that  will  crowd  for  utterance 
from  every  honest  heart.  As  the  news  of  this  outrage  upon 
the  human  race  speeds  from  one  branch  to  another  of  the  fam- 
ily of  nations,  they  can  but  sit  in  silence  and  nurse  the  bitter 
wrath  which  they  cannot  hope  to  adequately  express. 

From  the  Albany  Argus. 

UNITED    IN    ABHORRENCE    OF    THE    DEED. 

In  the  abhorrence  of  the  assassination,  in  the  purpose  never 
to  let  it  be  naturalized  here  as  a  means  to  vacate  offices  or  to 


PRESIDENT  QARFIELR  185 

wreak  the  revenges  of  displaced  men,  in  respect  for  the  rights 
and  persons  of  our  rulers,  in  the  resolve  that  murder  shall  be 
made  as  unprofitable  as  it  is  infamous,  in  adherence  to  the  law 
and  to  the  officials  chosen  by  the  law,  we  are  all  Democrats 
and  we  are  all  Republicans. 

From  the  Albany  Evening  Journal. 

A    CHILD    OF   THE    REPUBLIC. 

No  man  ever  deserved  better  of  the  Republic.  He  had  con- 
spicuously illustrated  in  his  career  the  genius  of  our  institu- 
tions ;  of  the  magnificent  opportunity  which  it  offers  to  wealth 
and  intelligence.  Every  poor  boy  in  the  country  had  hope  put 
in  his  bosom  by  reading  his  life.  He  was,  in  the  best  sense,  a 
child  of  the  Republic,  the  offspring  of  its  distinctive  ideas,  and 
as  such,  the  people,  who  so  lately  chose  him  as  their  Chief  Mag- 
istrate, held  him  in  the  most  respectful  and  affectionate  regard. 

From  the  New  Orleans  Times. 

THE    MOTIVE    PECULIARLY    MYSTERIOUS. 

Inasmuch  as  the  general  feeling  throughout  the  country 
towards  President  Garfield  has  been  more  kindly  than  has  been 
known  for  many  years  past,  the  motive  for  the  attempted  assas- 
sination is  peculiarly  mysterious.  Whether  the  wounds  are 
fatal  or  not,  the  event  must  excite  universal  condemnation  and 
regret 

From  the  Baltimore  Sun  (Dem.). 

THE    NATION    WOUNDED. 

In  this  community  all  personal,  all  partisan  feeling  seems 
buried  in  the  common  sentiment  of  sorrow.  While  justly, 
perhaps,  no  political  significance  could  possibly  be  attached  to 
the  act  of  a  half-crazed  assassin,  the  nation  yet  felt  itself 
struck  at  and  wounded  in  the  person  of  its  Chief  Magistrate. 
It  was  the  President  as  well  as  the  man  who  lay  dying  all 
day  yesterday  in  the  White  House,  and  the  whole  country 
felt  that  the  threatened  loss  and  sorrow  were  its  own. 


186  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


Columbus  (Ga.)  Enquirer-Sun  (Dem), 

THE  SOUTH  HAS  CAUSE  FOE  SADNESS. 

The  news  of  the  attempt  to  take  the  life  of  the  President 
caused  intense  excitement  in  this  city.  The  deepest  interest  is 
felt  throughout  the  entire  community,  and  we  but  utter  the 
sentiments  of  our  citizens  and  of  the  whole  people  in  this  sec- 
tion when  we  express  a  sincere  wish  for  his  speedy  recovery. 
His  death  will  be  looked  upon  by  our  people  as  a  public 
calamity.  Business  security,  public  progress,  and  civilization 
receive  this  blow  of  the  assassin.  The  South  has  cause  for 
sadness,  the  Union  for  tears. 

From  the  Augusta  (Ga.)  Chronicle  (Dem.), 

A   WAIL    OF    RIGHTEOUS    INDIGNATION. 

Because  this  is  the  American  "Union,  and  because  our  Presi- 
dent is  the  fit  ruler  of  a  free  people,  a  wail  of  righteous  indig- 
nation swells  in  unbroken  chorus  over  this  whole  land,  protesting 
against  the  gigantic  wrong,  and  demanding  justice  against  the 
villain  who  horrified  the  Republic  and  disgraced  the  image  of 
his  Maker. 

From  the  Richmond  Dispatch  (Dem.), 

Though  nations  may  swell  the  cry  of  indignation  called  forth 
by  the  attempt  to  assassinate  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  there  will,  in  all  the  earth,  be  no  sincerer  mourners  than 
the  people  of  the  Southern  section  of  this  Union.  The  true 
Southerner  is  a  true  man,  and  he  despises  treachery  and  cruelty 
and  assassination.  Well  is  it  for  the  man  who  sped  the  bullet 
of  the  assassin  that  he  did  not  do  it  in  a  Southern  city ;  for 
hot  Southern  blood  would  have  terminated  his  life  without  wait- 
ing to  learn  whether  he  was  a  maniac  or  not — as  he  was,  we 
take  it  for  granted.  We  all  feel  as  if  a  personal  wrong  had 
been  done  to  us — as  if  he  were  bone  of  our  bone,  and  flesh  of 
our  flesh,  who  was  basely  assaulted  in  Washington  yesterday. 
We  claim  him  at  once  as  our  President,  and  if — which  Heaven 
forbid — he  should  die  in  consequence  of  his  wounds,  every 
Southern  house  will  go  in  mourning  and  every  Southern  heart 
will  bleed,  as  every  Southern  tongue  claims  the  martyr  as  its  own. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  187 


From  (he  Baltimore  American  (Rep). 

A   BLOW    AT     REPUBLICAN    INSTITUTIONS. 

The  assassination  of  President  Garfield  is  the  most  serious 
calamity  that  has  befallen  this  country  since  the  birth  of  the 
Republic.  The  death  of  Abraham  Lincoln  by  the  hand  of 
Wilkes  Booth,  though  not  less  terrible,  was  so  plainly  traceable 
to  the  malignant  influences  of  the  rebellion  that  it  excited 
profound  grief  rather  than  actual  alarm,  and  it  did  not  for  a  mo- 
ment raise  a  question  as  to  the  stability  of  the  Government. 
The  assassination  of  President  Garfield,  on  the  contrary,  oc-. 
curring  at  a  time  "when  the  country  is  peaceful  and  prosperous, 
and  the  loyalty  of  the  South  has  ceased  to  be  a  cause  of  appre- 
hension, is  in  the  nature  of  a  blow  struck  at  the  very  life  of 
republican  institutions. 

Whether  the  assassin  had  accomplices  or  not — whether  his 
design  was  known  to  those  who  were  to  profit  by  his  crime  or 
not — the  fact  stands  out  in  startling  prominence  that  the  mur- 
derer was,  by  his  own  confession,  inspired  with  the  same  mo- 
tives that  have  actuated  the  third-term  conspirators  from  the 
very  beginning,  and  that  he  fired  the  fatal  shot  for  the  distinct 
purpose  of  accomplishing  their  plots  by  the  succession  of  Mr. 
Arthur  to  the  Presidency.  He  may  be,  as  there  is  some  reason 
to  believe,  a  monomaniac ;  but  his  monomania  is  identical,  ex- 
cept as  to  its  practical  result,  with  that  of  Conkling  and  Cameron, 
and  Logan  and  Grant.  If  he  was  not  the  selected  instrument 
of  others,  it  will  at  least  be  admitted  that  a  man  better  fitted  for 
the  work  of  an  assassin  could  not  well  have  been  procured. 
Whatever  may  have  been  the  part  that  this  miserable  wretch 
played,  it  is  unhappily  but  too  certain  that  the  assassination  of 
President  Garfield  is  the  logical  outcome  of  the  third-term  con- 
spiracy. The  Stalwarts  have  indeed  destroyed  the  President  at 
last.  What  the  ultimate  consequences  of  this  coup  d'etat  will 
be  it  is  impossible  at  the  moment  to  predict.  The  event  is  still 
too  recent  to  be  looked  at  calmly. 

From  the  Montgomery  Advertiser 

THE    VOICE    OF    THE    PRESS. 

A  gloom  rests  on  the  hearts  of  patriots  in  every  section  of  the 
country.  Its  shadow  already  settles  upon  all  the  festivities  of 


188  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

the  Fourth  of  July,  and  the  voice  of  sorrow  rises  above  the 
song  of  joy  and  gladness.  For  the  second  time  in  the  history 
of  the  Republic,  the  deadly  bullet  has  been  aimed  at  the  life  of 
the  chief  Executive.  The  murder  of  the  lamented  Lincoln  re- 
mains a  monument  of  shame  and  grief  to  the  American  people ; 
but  it  seems  that  even  so  ghastly  a  picture  does  not  suffice 
for  that  brutal  spirit  whose  satanic  insanity  defies  the  Ruler  of 
the  universe  and  feasts  its  savage  revenge  on  human  suffering. 
President  Garfield  is  the  second  victim  the  assassin  has  sought 
in  the  person  of  the  chief  Executive  of  the  millions  whose  glory 
has  been  that  theirs  is  "  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of 
the  brave."  It  is  a  most  melancholy  and  humiliating  reflection 
— the  first  officer  of  the  Government  shot  down  as  though  he 
were  a  culprit  fleeing  from  justice ;  it  is  a  fact  that  sends  a 
gloom  over  the  whole  land.  It  is  the  saddest  sound  that  has 
ever  fallen  on  the  hearts  of  the  oppressed  millions  of  other 
lands,  who  would  fain  believe  the  American  Republic  the  best 
and  safest  asylum  on  earth. 


From  tTie  Buffalo  Commercial  Advertiser  (Rep.). 


A    FOUL    WRONG. 

The  calamity  has  revealed  the  firm  hold  that  President  Gar- 
field  has  upon  the  esteem  and  affection  of  his  fellow-citizens. 
That  he  may  be  spared  and  restored  to  the  vigorous  health  that 
has  been  his  blessing  is  the  prayer  that  ascends  to  the  Great 
Ruler  of  nations  from  the  millions  of  people  in  this  vast  Repub- 
lic. James  A.  Garfield,  if  he  lives,  will  learn,  after  the  trial  to 
which  he  is  now  subjected,  how  sincerely  he  is  respected  by  the 
people  who  so  recently  placed  him  in  the  highest  office  of  their 
Government.  There  are  no  political  lines  now,  when  a  nation 
is  shocked  by  the  reports  of  assassination,  and  mourns  with  the 
loved  ones  and  loving  wife  who  are  gathered  by  the  bedside  of 
a  wise  father,  a  kind  husband,  and  a  faithful  son.  There  are  no 
distinctions  of  persons  in  this  great  nation  at  such  a  time,  for 
all  who  are  Americans  by  birth  or  by  adoption  cry  out  against 
a  crime  so  heinous,  and  their  hearts  turn  towards  the  victim  of 
so  foul  a  wrong. 


PRESIDENT  tfARFIELD.  189 


From  the  Portland  Advertiser. 

The  spoils  system  is  directly  responsible  for  the  infamous 
outrage.  It  was  because  the  appointing  power  is  now  vested  in 
the  arbitrary  will  of  a  President  that  Guiteau's  malevolence  was 
directed  towards  Garfield. 


From  the  Boston  Journal. 

It  was  so  impossible  to  conceive  of  any  provocation  for  an 
attack  upon  the  President,  and  it  seemed  so  incredible  that  a 
career  like  his,  as  the  honorably-elected  leader  of  a  great  and 
free  people,  could  be  cut  short  by  such  weapons  as  are  directed 
against  kings  and  despots  in  Europe,  that  the  first  reports  of  the 
awful  tragedy  found  few  to  accept  them. 

From  the  St.  Paul  Pioneer  Press. 

The  half-crazy  miscreant  who  committed  this  deed  of  horror 
struck  to  kill  and  rejoices  in  his  infernal  triumph.  He  claims 
himself  a  Stalwart  of  the  Stalwarts,  and  a  Conkling  man,  and 
boasts  that  he  murdered  the  President  as  a  political  necessity 
to  make  Arthur  President  and  reunite  the  Republican  party. 
Doubtless  he  is  crazy — the  fact  is  duly  certified  to  by  his  ante- 
cedents— but  nothing  but  the  most  consummate  craft  could  have 
planned  a  political  assassination  so  opportunely  for  the  purposes 
of  the  Stalwart  chiefs  who  are  benefited  by  it.  The  blow  was 
struck  just  in  the  nick  of  time  to  save  them  from  utter  over- 
throw. A  single  life  lay  between  them  and  the  full  possession 
of  that  power  and  patronage  which  they  counted  as  the  chiefest 
of  earthly  goods,  and  for  which  they  had  struggled  with  the 
firm  disposition  of  hungry  wolves,  and  that  life  has  been  snuffed 
by  a  murderer. 

From  the  Boston  Herald. 

Sad  and  lamentable  and  far-reaching  in  its  possible  conse- 
quences as  is  this  act  of  frenzy,  it  loses  all  sinister  political 
significance  when  it  appears  as  the  deed  of  a  disappointed  office- 
seeker,  who,  through  his  disappointment,  has  lost  his  wits. 
Assassination  has  no  place  in  our  political  system,  if  ever  justifh 
able  in  a  land  of  free  speech  and  universal  suffrage. 


190  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


From  the  Hartford  Courant. 

There  is  probably  no  Government  elsewhere  that  would  be  so 
little  disturbed  by  such  a  crime.  The  complicated  wheels  of  the 
Executive  machinery  will  hardly  be  checked  for  an  instant  if 
Garfield  leaves  us.  Should  General  Arthur  become  President 
there  would  be  changes,  but  they  would  be  chiefly  in  the  mere 
personnelle.  In  matters  of  general  policy — notably  in  affairs  of 
finance — he  is  in  tota\  accord  with  the  present  Administration. 
•  •  •  •  He  calls  himself  a  "  Stalwart,"  whatever  that  may  be ; 
but  it  is  a  lie  to  give  him  only  a  political  significance  which  he 
never  possessed. 

From  the  Buffalo  Morning  Courier. 

In  the  face  of  such  a  calamity  as  the  assassination  of  the 
President,  it  behooves  us  to  remember  that  the  man  struck  down 
in  the  prime  of  his  glory  was  the  representative  and  chief  ruler 
of  us  all;  that  in  him  was  personified  the  majority  of  the  Repub- 
lic ;  that  to  him  was  due  the  hearty  allegiance  of  every  citizen 
during  the  term  for  which  the  majority  had  chosen  him.  The 
Democrats  opposed  General  Garfield's  election,  and  were  out- 
spoken in  their  criticisms  of  what  they  deemed  his  faults ;  but  he 
was  their  President,  no  less  than  the  President  of  the  men  who 
voted  for  him,  and  they  feel  the  shock  of  the  pistol  shot  that 
struck  him  down  no  less  than  their  Republican  neighbors.  This 
is  the  essence  of  our  nationality.  The  attempted  assassination 
seems  to  be  the  act  of  an  irresponsible  and  isolated  lunatic,  and 
not  the  result  of  a  conspiracy  with  its  root  striking  down  into 
some  mysterious  social  organization,  or  nourished  by  bitter  fruit- 
fulness  of  some  political  grievance.  Every  suspicion  that  any 
American  politician,  even  in  the  heat  of  a  struggle  of  parties  or 
factions,  would  resort  to  assassination  as  a  means  of  putting  a 
rival  out  of  the  way,  should  be  set  aside  resolutely.  In  addition 
to  our  sense  of  the  public  calamity  we  are  simply  content  to 
express  our  grief  for  the  genial,  kindly  man,  possibly  to  be 
snatched  away  from  life  in  a  moment  when  life  had  everything 
to  promise  for  his  enjoyment;  our  sympathy  for  the  gentle  wife, 
who  all  day  yesterday  ran  a  race  with  death  on  her  dreary 
journey  to  Washington,  and  our  sorrow  for  the  fine  old  mother 


PRESIDENT  GA&FIELD.  191 

who  has  seen  all  the  glories  of  her  son  suddenly  darkened  in 
death's  eclipse. 

From,  the  Chicago  Inter-Ocean. 

Throughout  the  day  and  night  people  watched  with  the  suf- 
fering President,  and  in  this  vigil  there  came  to  them  thoughts 
that  come  only  to  a  free  people  in  great  crises.  There  was  in  no 
quarter  any  excuse  for  the  act  or  any  expressed  or  implied  sym- 
pathy for  the  murderer.  There  was  no  disposition,  except  among 
the  shallow-pated  and  little-souled,  to  turn  the  tragedy  to  politi- 
cal account,  and  the  maudlin  mutterings  of  this  class  were 
promptly  rebuked.  The  people,  to  their  credit  be  it  said,  saw 
the  attempt  on  the  life  of  the  President  in  the  light  of  a  menace 
against  the  Government,  and  a  crime  against  our  civilization. 
They  were  more  than  the  friends  of  General  Garfield ;  they  were 
the  champions  of  good  government  protesting  against  any  phi- 
losophy, any  fanaticism,  any  Nihilistic  tendency,  however  slight, 
that  would  excuse  such  a  crime  anywhere  or  that  would  fail  to 
condemn  it.  If  President  Garfield  should  live  through  this 
crisis  all  the  people  will  be  reverent  in  their  thankfulness  and  as 
one  man  in  their  rejoicing.  Should  he  die  they  will  turn  in 
their  sorrow  and  wrath  to  crush  out  all  the  un-American  mush- 
room sophistry  that  makes  assassination  possible. 

From  the  Hartford  Evening  Post. 

How  far  is  the  moral  responsibility  of  men  in  their  right 
minds,  controlled  purely  by  their  own  selfish  interests  and  ambi- 
tions, affected  in  tracing  the  causes  of  this  assassin's  irresponsible 
act  ?  How  much  has  all  the  talk  of  the  severely  exercised  Stal- 
wart organs  and  apostles  contributed  to  upset  the  balance  of  a 
weak  mind,  already  disturbed  by  personal  disappointment?  If 
this  poor,  weak  fellow  has  been  about  Washington,  nursing  his 
grief  from  day  to  day,  he  must  have  habitually  read  the  daily 
diatribes  of  the  so-called  Washington  organ  of  the  Conkling 
faction  and  the  star  route  gang. 


192  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

From  the  New  York  Times,  July  4 

THE  FEELING  TOWARDS  THE  PRESIDENT. 

Most  of  our  readers  must  have  been  struck  during  the  past 
forty-eight  hours  by  the  peculiar  tenderness  and  affection  with 
which  the  public  have  spoken  of  the  President.  It  was  natural 
that  there  should  have  been  grief  and  indignation  and  humilia- 
tion over  the  attempted  assassination,  but  we  think  that  the 
hearty  and  kindly  tone  which  pervaded  the  general  comments 
on  the  President  himself  was  a  grateful  surprise  to  most.  It  was 
not  with  the  people  at  large  simply  that  the  chief  Executive  had 
been  so  cruelly  struck  down,  or  that  our  national  reputation  had 
suffered  a  shock;  this  was  inevitable  and  was  deeply  felt;  but 
what,  we  think,  most  observers  were  not  prepared  for  was  the 
wide  outburst  of  unreserved  "Sympathy  and  admiration  and 
downright  love  for  Mr.  Garfield.  Nor  was  this  confined  to  his 
own  party  by  any  means.  It  was  even  more  marked  among 
those  who  had  been  politically  opposed  to  him,  who  belonged  to 
the  party  which,  in  the  late  canvass,  was  most  bitter  and  abusive 
towards  the  Republican  candidate. 

This  is  a  feature  of  the  terrible  experience  through  which  the 
nation  is  passing  which  is  of  most  hopeful  significance.  It  shows 
that  however  reckless  and  violent  may  be  the  demonstrations  of 
passion  and  prejudice  in  our  party  contests,  they  do  not  express 
the  real  and  abiding  temper  of  the  people.  They  necessarily 
attract  great  attention,  and  appear  to  be  the  outgrowth  of  gen- 
eral sentiment;  but  the  quiet  and  sincere  feeling  of  the  great 
mass  of  citizens  is  not  only  out  of  sympathy  with  but  opposed 
directly  to  these  manifestations.  In  Mr.  Garfield's  case  this  is 
particularly  gratifying,  because,  while  he  has  been  a  man  of  un- 
questioned and  deserved  distinction  in  public  life  for -many 
years,  his  reputation  has  only  lately  been  really  national,  \t  has 
only  been  recently  that  he  has  really  been  known  to  the  whole 
people.  The  sentiment  that  has  been  manifested  towards  him 
has  been  brought  into  existence  within  the  past  year,  and  is  a 
remarkable  proof  of  the  sane  and  sound  manner  in  which  thu 
people  do,  in  fact,  frame  their  judgments,  however  reserved  they 
may  be  ordinarily  in  giving  form  to  them.  Undoubtedly 
the  basis  of  the  affection  which  has  been  so  strikingly  exhibited 
during  the  last  two  days  is  the  conviction  of  the  essential  recti- 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  193 

tude  of  the  President's  character.  Following  his  course  in  its 
broad  features,  the  people  have  thoroughly  approved  of  it.  They 
have  seen  him  vindicated  very  promptly  in  the  selection  of  his 
Cabinet  by  the  undoubted  ability  and  elevation  of  purpose  which 
the  most  active  members  of  it  have  shown.  They  have  watched 
his  relations  with  the  Senate,  and  have  seen  him  courageous  yet 
discreet,  firm  and  dignified  without  obstinacy,  showing  no  ill 
temper,  and  bearing  with  cheerful  patience  the  wickedest  attacks 
upon  his  motives.  There  has  been  nothing  .heroic,  or  brilliant, 
or  imposing  in  his  course ;  but  it  has  been  sensible,  sincere,  prac- 
tical, and  honorable,  and  it  had  undoubtedly  given  rise  to  a  very 
strong  sentiment  of  respect  and  confidence  in  the  public  mind. 

Suddenly  came  the  attempted  assassination.  The  hourly 
bulletins  from  Washington  described  Mr.  Garfield  as  bearing 
himself,  in  the  face  of  almost  certain  death  and  under  the  most 
poignant  suffering,  with  perfect  composure  and  fortitude.  Then 
the  popular  regard  was  instantly  intensified  into  fervid  affection 
and  admiration.  Every  heart  felt  a  tender  pride  in  hearing  that 
the  wounded  and  possibly  dying  President  had  preserved  the 
bearing  of  a  soldier  in  the  presence  of  pain  and  peril  as  great  as 
if  he  had  fallen  on  the  battle-field.  Mr.  Garfield's  splendid 
nerve,  his  patient  and  chivalric  abnegation  of  self,  his  unfaltering 
manliness,  appealed  powerfully  to  the  best  feelings  of  every 
nature.  And  there  was  no  American  heart  so  callous  that  it 
was  not  moved  by  the  simple  eloquence  of  the  despatch  he  dic- 
tated to  his  absent  wife.  These  incidents  brought  out  the 
personal  character,  the  nobility  and  simplicity  and  solid  excel- 
lence of  the  President.  The  knowledge  of  them  instantly  made 
a  place  for  him  in  the  intimate  affection  of  his  fellow  citizens. 
These  felt  that  he  was,  in  the  saddest  and  severest  trial  to  which 
a  man  could  be  subjected,  showing  himself  every  inch  a  man. 
There  was  a  sense  of  deep  satisfaction  that  if  it  was  our  fate  to 
furnish  the  miserable  assassin  whose  mad  and  cowardly  cruelty 
must  disgrace  the  nation,  our  President,  the  elected  highest 
representative  of  the  entire  people,  was  redeeming  our  name  by 
the  magnificent  qualities  which  he  was  manifesting.  This 
capacity  for  instant  recognition  and  admiration  of  manliness  is 
of  no  small  value  to  a  people,  for  its  basis  is  sympathy  with  the 
virtue  to  which  it  is  directed ;  and  in  the  hearty  affection  that 
has  everywhere  gone  out  towards  Mr.  Garfield  is  an  evidence  of 
the  essential  soundness  of  the  popular  heart — an  evidence  which 
9 


194  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

some  conspicuous  incidents  in  our  recent  political  life  have 
rendered  peculiarly  welcome. 


New  York  Tribune,  July  4 

A   NATION    IN    SUSPENSE. 

While  the  stricken  President  still  struggles  between  life  and 
death  a  great  and  unwonted  anxiety  fills  the  public  mind.  It 
arises  from  two  sentiments  which  the  shock  of  this  terrible 
calamity  has  clearly  revealed.  One  is  the  affection  and  confi- 
dence in  which  General  Garfield  is  held  by  the  people,  and  the 
other  is  the  dread  of  what  may  come  after  him  if  the  "  Stalwart" 
assassin's  bullet  proves  to  have  done  its  work  effectively. 

No  one  knew  until  Saturday  how  strong  a  hold  our  President 
had  gained  upon  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  this  country. 
His  honest,  open,  noble  nature,  his  genial  friendliness,  his  quick 
sympathy  with  all  classes  and  conditions  of  men,  had  as  much 
endeared  him  to  our  affections  as  his  genius  and  great  services 
had  commended  him  to  our  admiration.  He  was  the  people's 
President,  one  of  them  in  his  origin,  in  his  early  struggles,  in 
his  honorable  success,  in  the  sturdy  national  strain  of  his  charac- 
ter and  mind.  While  he  had  attained  by  his  great  talents  and 
splendid  industry  a  place  beyond  the  reach  of  competition  years 
ago,  and  had  afterwards  been  raised  to  the  highest  station  upon 
earth  attainable  through  the  free  choice  of  a  people,  he  never 
lost  the  popular  qualities  which  rendered  him  less  an  object  of 
envy  than  of  hearty  personal  regard,  not  only  among  the 
thousands  who  knew  him,  but  also  among  the  millions  to  whom 
he  was  merely  a  name  and  a  type  of  greatness  due  to -merit  and 
to  labor.  The  controversy  forced  upon  him  at  the  very  outset 
of  his  administration,  the  good-natured  firmness,  utterly  devoid 
of  arrogance  and  bluster,  with  which  he  pursued  the  course  he 
thought  required  by  his  self-respect  and  the  best  interests  of  the 
country,  resulted  in  a  great  increase  of  his  popularity  among 
a  people  who  like  firmness  and  courage,  most  especially  when 
accompanied  with  sense  and  modesty  and  free  from  arrogance 
and  selfishness.  Just  at  the  moment  when  his  fellow-citizens 
had  begun  to  appreciate  him  and  love  him  most,  the  bullet  of 
the  assassin  laid  him  low,  and  the  tenderest  compassion  was 
added  to  their  former  regard.  By  the  every- day  miracles  of  the 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  195 

telegraph  and  the  printing-press  working  together  the  whole 
mass  of  the  people  have  been  admitted  to  his  bedside,  and  have 
scanned  his  every  action  and  expression  since  the  blow  was 
struck.  In  these  long  hours  of  pain  and  mortal  peril  they 
learned  anew  how  brave  and  true  and  tender  a  soul  their  great 
ruler  possessed.  His  calm  resignation  to  the  will  of  heaven  ; 
his  absence  of  all  feeling  of  resentment  against  his  assassin  and 
his  enemies;  the  knightly  devotion  with  which  his  first  care 
was  given  to  breaking  the  news  and  sending  his  love  to  his 
faithful  wife ;  his  cheerful  serenity,  lightened  even  to  jocularity, 
with  his  friends  at  his  bedside ;  his  words  of  comfort  to  his 
weeping  children;  the  indomitable  will  and  courage  with  which, 
when  his  physician  informed  him  that  he  had  one  chance  in  a 
hundred  of  living,  he  replied,  "  Then  we  will  go  in  on  that 
chance" — all  these  things  have  touched  the  hearts  of  millions, 
and  turned  their  admiration  and  regard  to  warm  and  anxious 
affection.  Yesterday,  from  thousands  of  churches,  prayers  went 
up  to  Heaven  for  the  safety  of  a  life  that  had  suddenly  grown 
more  precious  than  ever,  and  last  night  there  were  few  family 
altars  in  the  land  that  did  not  send  up  the  same  petition  with 
passion  and  tears. 

The  pain  of  his  loss,  if  it  be  the  will  of  Heaven  that  the  na- 
tion shall  lose  him,  seems  therefore  a  sorrow  too  great  to  be 
borne,  at  this  hour,  when  the  people  seem  first  to  have  come  to 
a  full  and  adequate  knowledge  of  him.  But  mingled  with  this 
sentiment  of  sorrow  is  another  which  it  is  our  duty  as  chroni- 
clers to  record.  It  is  a  feeling  everywhere  expressed  on  Sat- 
urday, and  yesterday  as  well,  that  what  is  known  of  the 
Vice-President  is  not  of  a  nature  to  inspire  that  full  measure  of 
confidence  which  would  afford  the  only  consolation  possible  in 
a  disaster  like  the  present.  General  Arthur  is  a  gentleman  of 
many  accomplishments  and  many  amiable  and  engaging  quali- 
ties. He  is  represented  to  us  by  those  who  know  him  well  as 
one  of  the  most  upright  of  citizens,  one  of  the  most  loyal 
and  devoted  of  friends.  It  is  precisely  here  that  the  public 
mind  finds  its  cause  of  doubt  and  apprehension.  It  is  feared 
that  he  is  more  devoted  to  his  friends  than  to  the  public  wel- 
fare ;  that  he  can  see  nothing  but  good  in  them,  and  nothing 
but  evil  in  their  opponents.  If  this  be  true,  and  if  the  grief  and 
misfortune  is  in  store  for  us  of  losing  the  noble,  enlightened, 
placable  and  generous  ruler,  whom  we  chose  in  joy  and  hope 


196  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

last  year,  then  the  bitterness  of  the  present  sorrow  and  the 
weight  of  the  present  anxiety  will  be  as  nothing  to  what  we 
shall  have  to  endure  in  the  four  troubled  years  which  are  to 
come. 

From  the  Philadelphia  Times. 

Had  the  assassin's  deed  been  done  in  the  tempest  of  revolu- 
tion, there  might  have  been  something  to  plead  in  extenuation 
of  the  crime  ;  but  the  animating  purpose  and  the  circumstances 
which  precipitated  the  act  are,  if  possible,  more  terrible  to  con- 
template than  the  murder  itself.  That  assassination  should 
become  the  weapon  of  inflamed  faction,  and  that  trembling 
political  criminals  should  murder  the  President  of  the  great 
Republic  of  the  earth,  with  the  boast  of  crime  mingling  with  the 
groans  of  the  murdered  ruler,  make  the  bitterest  cup  ever  pre- 
sented to  the  lips  of  our  free  people,  and  its  consequences  are 
beyond  the  power  of  man  to  measure.  If  one  so  beloved  and 
respected  as  James  A.  Garfield  can  be  murdered  under  the  very 
shadow  of  the  Capitol  when  peace  and  plenty  abound  through- 
out the  land,  when  the  passions  of  sectional  strife  have  been 
stilled,  when  the  waves  of  party  conflict  have  been  calmed,  and 
when  only  the  murmur  of  the  spoilsman  could  be  heard  in  dis- 
cord with  the  general  tranquillity,  then  indeed  is  the  gloom  that 
encircles  the  nation  impenetrable. 


From  the  St.  Louis  Post-Despatch. 

A    DEPLORABLE    EVENT. 

A  more  deplorable  event  than  this  could  hardly  have  hap- 
pened. Of  all  countries  in  the  world  this  is  the  one  in  which 
the  weapon  of  an  assassin  should  never  be  directed  against  men 
in  authority.  Our  political  system  affords  a  ready  relief,  and 
there  is  no  grievance  against  a  ruler  which  cannot  be  reached 
through  peaceful  methods.  It  is  plain  that  the  terrible  act  of 
this  man  Guiteau  can  have  no  political  significance.  Having 
given  himself  to  office-seeking  he  probably  brooded  over  his 
disappointment  until  his  mind  was  overthrown. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  197 

From  the  Columbia  (S.  C.)  Register. 

THE    SADDEST    OF    TIDINGS. 

The  whole  country  is  overwhelmed  with  consternation  and 
sorrow  at  the  terrible  tidings  the  wires  bring  us  of  the  shooting 
of  President  Garfield.  We  all  feel,  in  this  section  of  the  coun- 
try, that  no  sadder  tidings  could  come  to  us  than  the  death 
of  Garfield,  the  chosen  Executive  of  the  people  of  the  whole 
country.  It  is  true,  we  believe,  that  the  unboughten  voice  of 
the  people  of  the  free  States  of  the  Union  would  have  seated 
Wintield  S.  Hancock  ;  yet  James  A.  Garfield  has  been  installed 
into  office  without  one  word  of  dispute  as  to  his  lawful  election, 
and  as  such  he  sits  in  the  seat  of  Washington  and  Adams,  Jef- 
ferson and  Jackson — as  much  the  President  of  the  whole  coun- 
try as  ever  they  were.  The  people  of  the  South,  although  they 
claimed  nothing  at  the  hands  of  President  Garfield  but  a  lawful 
administration  of  the  country's  affairs,  had  reached  a  well- 
defined  hope  that  the  whole  country  would  enjoy  under  Garfield 
another  administration  of  peace  and  rest  and  comfort,  which 
would  push  us  along  the  road  to  enduring  peace  and  a  well  begun 
prosperity.  If  this  is  all  to  be  dashed  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin, 
and  Vice-President  Arthur  takes  the  seat  as  a  declared  partisan 
of  the  most  declared  Stalwart  stripe,  then  indeed  is  there  trouble 
enough  in  the  land  to  cover  it  with  thick  mourning.  To  attrib- 
ute this  diabolical  deed  to  any  faction  in  the  country  without 
further  evidence  than  we  have  would  be  manifestly  unjust.  Yet 
the  whole  country  must  open  its  eyes  to  the  fact  as  to  who  the 
beneficiaries  will  be  by  the  event  of  the  untimely,  brutal,  and 
cowardly  slaying  of  our  President ;  and  should  any  Administra- 
tion coming  into  power  attempt  to  put  us  back  under  the  Grant 
policy,  the  whole  country  will  know  the  reason  why,  and  see  the 
power  behind  the  assassin's  weapon  that  slew  the  man  who  made 
a  third  term  impossible.  If  any  man  can  take  comfort  in  all 
this  wide  land  at  the  terrible  blow  at  the  whole  country's  heart, 
we,  of  the  South,  at  least,  bend  our  heads  in  deep  sorrow  whilst 
the  bloody  work  flourishes  over  us. 


198  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


From  the  Springfield  (Mass.)  Republican. 

CONSUMMATION    OF    THE    SPOILS    SYSTEM. 

The  assassination  of  an  American  President  is  an  event  so 
terrible  that  we  are  glad  that  it  is  not  devoid  of  meaning  and  of 
political  significance.  A  railroad  collision  or  a  madman  might 
have  been  the  means  of  President  Garfield's  death,  but  if  he 
must  be  taken  off  by  violence,  and  particularly  by  crime,  let  us 
rejoice  that  his  death  means  something.  The  assassination  of 
President  Garfield  by  a  disappointed  office-seeker  is  the  consum- 
mation of  the  spoils  system.  Guiteau  is  a  miserable  ne'er-do- 
well,  who  shares  the  common  feeling  that  all  the  offices  are  in 
the  dispensation  of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and  that 
he  has  a  claim  on  that  functionary  for  patronage.  He  is  in 
sympathy  with  Arthur  and  Conkling  in  the  struggle  over  the 
New  York  Custom  House.  His  wits  have  become  only  a  degree 
more  disordered  than  those  of  Conkling  himself,  and  being  a 
much  weaker  and  feebler  man  his  vengeance  has  taken  the  di- 
rect and  vulgar  form  of  a  pistol  shot,  rather  than  the  more 
refined  form  of  resigning  the  seats  of  the  Republican  majority 
in  the  United  States  Senate  and  demanding  a  vindication  from 
the  State  of  New  York.  The  practice  of  centring  all  patronage 
in  the  President,  making  his  will  and  the  will  of  his  favorites 
the  supreme  test  whether  civil  servants  shall  be  retained  or  dis- 
missed, regardless  of  their  efficiency  and  regardless  of  the  terms 
for  which  they  were  appointed — this  dictatorship  of  the  offices 
can  but  have  the  effect  to  centre  upon  the  President  all  the  in- 
trigue and  hostility  of  those  disappointed,  the  desperate  polit- 
ical opposition  of  senators  and  men  of  high  position,  and  the 
malignity,  hatred  and  violence  of  men  of  low  instincts. 

From  the  Albany  Express. 

JUSTICE    BAFFLED. 

In  the  presence  of  such  a  dastardly  deed  justice  stands  baffled. 
"  Life  for  life,"  indeed.  Scores  of  lives  might  well  be  offered 
up  to  save  the  life  of  the  President ;  but  the  death  of  millions 
of  Guiteaus  cannot  avenge  the  shocking  crime  which  this  wretch 
has  committed,  nor  can  it  be  adequately  punished  by  man.  It 
is  to  be  deeply  deplored,  not  only  because  it  may  remove  from 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  199 

office  one  whose  abilities,  acquirements  and  accomplishments 
adorned  the  position,  but  because  it  inspires  profound  distrust 
of  the  personal  safety  of  the  President  of  a  free  people,  engaged 
in  the  discharge  of  the  duty  to  which  they  called  him,  whenever 
he  disappoints  a  desperado  who  may  dare  to  seek  office  at  his 
hands. 

From  the  Chicago  Tribune. 

THE    PEOPLE    OVERWHELMED. 

The  assassination  of  President  Garfield  has  naturally  shocked 
the  national  mind,  and  for  the  time  overwhelmed  the  hearts  of 
the  entire  people.  It  has  rarely  been  the  fortune  of  any  man  to 
be  elected  to  the  Presidency  and  enter  upon  the  duties  of  the 
office  under  such  favorable  circumstances.  To  his  aid  he  had 
called  a  Cabinet  of  able  and  experienced  statesmen,  and  during 
the  four  brief  months  of  his  administration  he  had  won  the 
confidence  of  the  great  mass  of  the  American  people.  The 
action  of  the  assassin  was  deliberate.  To  the  credit  of  the 
country  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  there  is  nothing  in  his 
attempted  deed  of  murder  prompted  by  popular  complaint  of 
the  government,  of  the  laws,  or  of  the  President  personally.  It 
was  the  act  of  a  man  of  crazed  mind  seeking  infamous  notoriety, 
and  madly  believing  he  would  find  some  one  to  glorify  him. 
The  country  will  unquestionably  and  without  a  dissenting  voice 
acquit  those  at  political  variance  with  General  Garfield  of  all 
complicity  or  knowledge  of  this  atrocious  deed.  At  the  same 
time  it  will  be  remembered  that  this  crazy  demon  was  in  that 
mental  condition  to  be  influenced  by  current  events  of  the  day, 
and  the  fact  that  a  faction  in  New  York  was  striving  to  defeat 
the  administration  was  just  such  an  event  as  would  suggest  to 
the  mind  of  this  man  seeking  notoriety  that  the  removal  of  the 
President  would  terminate  the  contest,  unite  the  party,  and 
perhaps  win  for  himself  the  gratitude  of  the  victors.  While  no 
sane  man  will  admit  a  suspicion  that  this  attempted  assassina- 
tion has  any  connection  with  the  New  York  case,  still,  on  the 
theory  that  this  assassin  was  deranged  in  his  mind,  and  taking 
his  own  letters  as  indicating  the  direction  of  his  insanity,  no  one 
will  question  that  had  not  that  factious  controversy  taken  place 
this  attempted  murder  would  not  have  suggested  itself  to  this 
man  Guiteau.  Even  this  does  not  establish  any  responsibility 
on  the  part  of  any  one  besides  Guiteau  for  the  deed  itself,  but  it 


200  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 

will  rise  in  men's  minds,  and  whether  the  President  shall  die  or 
recover  it  will  survive  as  part  of  the  history  of  the  whole  mur- 
derous transaction,  even  long  after  the  present  generation  shall 
have  passed  away.  If  anything  could  add  to  the  universal  grief 
of  the  American  people  over  the  attempted  assassination  of 
President  Garfield,  the  anticipation  of  three  and  a  half  years' 
government  under  Mr.  Arthur,  and  all  which  that  implies,  will 
be  by  the  American  people  generally  accepted  as  a  pending 
national  calamity  of  the  utmost  magnitude. 

From  the  KnoxviUe  (Tenn.)  Tribune. 

NOT    DUE    TO    NIHILISM. 

The  attempt  upon  the  life  of  the  President  is  deeply  deplored 
by  every  one  we  have  heard  express  themselves.  It  is  a  fortunate 
thing  for  us  as  a  nation  that  the  calamity  has  occurred  at  a  time 
when  the  world  may  be  shown  that  no  spirit  of  Nihilism  insti- 
gated the  deed  or  directed  the  hand  of  the  assassin,  and  that  it 
may  not  be  traced  to  the  great  party  schism  now  assailing  this 
government ;  that,  in  short,  it  can  be  traced  to  neither  North  nor 
South  as  an  indicative  sentiment. 

From  t7ie  Chicago  Times. 

THE    ASSASSIN    NOT    A    MADMAN. 

The  man  who  has  attempted  to  take  the  life  of  the  President 
is  not  a  madman.  He  is  a  very  rational  office  beggar.  He  is 
one  of  a  large  class  of  citizens  who  have  been  educated  by  Ameri- 
can politics  and  politicians  to  regard  public  offices  not  as  places 
of  public  trust  to  which  no  individual  person  could  set  up  any 
claim,  but  as  the  spoils  of  success  to  be  fairly  claimed  as  rewards 
by  persons  who  have  contributed  by  their  efforts  to  the  success 
of  those  higher  trustees  who  hold  the  power  to  bestow  them. 
He  is  a  disciple  of  the  political  gospel  preached  by  William  L. 
Marcy  and  practised  by  Andrew  Jackson ;  preached  by  Roscoe 
Conkling  and  Chester  A.  Arthur  and  John  A.  Logan,  and  not 
practised  to  the  pleasure  of  either  the  assassin  or  his  illustrious 
preceptors  by  President  Garfield.  As  the  assassin  of  President 
Lincoln  (whose  name  and  place  were  not  material)  was  a  product 
of  public  disease,  which  manifested  itself  in  the  pro-slavery 
rebellion,  so  the  intending  assassin  of  President  Garfield  (whose 
name  and  place  also  are  not  material)  is  a  product  of  a  public 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  201 

disease  called  the  "spoils  system."  More  notable  products  of 
the  same  disease  are  Conkling  and  Arthur  and  Logan.  Every 
citizen  who  is  not  at  heart  a  political  assassin  will  earnestly  peti- 
tion Almighty  God  to  spare  the  life  of  President  Garfield  and 
save  this  land  from  the  impending  national  calamity,  the  succes- 
sion of  Chester  A.  Arthur  to  the  Presidential  office.  Is  it  not 
also  a  good  time  for  all  good  men  to  supplement  their  petitions 
for  help  to  the  throne  of  Heaven  with  resolutions  to  make  all 
possible  exertions  to  enable  the  people  to  help  themselves  by 
eradicating  the  infamous  spoils  system  and  abolishing  the  super- 
fluous contrivance  called  the  Vice-Presidency. 

^     From  tJie  Buffalo  Courier. 

NOT   THE    RESULT    OF    A    CONSPIRACT. 

In  the  face  of  such  a  calamity  as  the  assassination  of  the 
President  it  behooves  us  to  remember  that  the  man  struck  down 
in  the  prime  of  his  glory  was  the  representative  and  chief  ruler 
of  us  all;  that  in  him  was  personified  the  majority  of  the  repub- 
lic; that  to  him  was  due  the  hearty  allegiance  of  every  citizen 
during  the  term  for  which  the  majority  had  chosen  him.  The 
Democrats  opposed  General  Garfield's  election,  and  were  out- 
spoken in  their  criticisms  of  what  they  deemed  his  faults;  but 
he  was  their  President  no  less  than  the  President  of  the  men 
who  voted  for  him,  and  they  feel  the  shock  of  the  pistol  shot 
that  struck  him  down  no  less  than  their  Republican  neighbors. 
This  is  the  essence  of  our  nationality.  The  attempted  assassina- 
tion seems  to  be  the  act  of  an  irresponsible  and  isolated  lunatic, 
and  not  the  result  of  a  conspiracy  with  its  roots  striking  down 
into  some  mysterious  social  organization  or  nourished  by  bitter 
fruitfulness  of  some  political  grievance.  Every  suspicion  that 
any  American  politician,  even  in  the  heat  of  a  struggle  of  par- 
ties or  factions,  would  resort  to  assassination  as  a  means  of  putting 
a  rival  out  of  the  way  should  be  set  aside  resolutely.  In  addi- 
tion to  our  sense  of  the  public  calamity,  we  are  simply  content 
to  express  our  grief.  Genial,  kindly  man,  possibly  to  be  snatched 
away  from  life  in  a  moment  when  life  had  everything  to  promise 
for  his  enjoyment!  Our  sympathy  for  the  gentle  wife  who  all 
day  yesterday  ran  a  race  with  death  on  her  dreary  journey  to 
Washington,  and  our  sorrow  for  the  fine  old  mother  who  has 
seen  all  the  glories  of  her  son  suddenly  darkened  in  death's 
eclipse ! 
8* 


202  ?HE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


WOEDS  OF  SYMPATHY. 


LONDON,  July  3,  1881. 

THE  news  of  the  attempted  assassination  of  President  Gar- 
field  reached  London  this  afternoon  in  time  to  be  printed  in  the 
last  editions  of  the  evening  papers ;  too  late,  however,  to  be- 
come known  to  the  general  public  until  a  much  later  hour.  In 
fact,  the  people  living  at  the  West  End  and  in  the  suburbs  are 
yet,  in  many  cases,  unaware  of  the  tragedy,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  the  special  editions  of  the  evening  papers  are  not  published 
later  than  six  o'clock.  The  news  first  obtained  general  circula- 
tion in  the  theatres — at  Covent  Garden,  where  Patti  was  sing- 
ing, at  Her  Majesty's,  where  it  was  a  Nilsson  night,  and  at  the 
Princess',  where  there  was  a  revival  of  Bronson  Howard's  play, 
"  The  Old  Love  and  the  New."  A  general  exodus  of  Ameri- 
cans took  place  after  the  sad  news  became  known,  and  their 
departure  caused  visible  vacancies  in  the  stalls  and  boxes. 
Thenceforward  a  stream  of  inquirers,  among  them  many  ladies 
in  opera  dress,  poured  into  the  Herald  office,  into  Minister 
Lowell's  private  residence,  and  into  the  American  Exchange,  all 
anxious  to  learn  the  latest  particulars.  At  the  hotels  and  the 
American  Exchange  numbers  stayed  up  until  daylight  this 
morning  waiting  for  the  bulletins  forwarded  by  you  to  the 
London  office.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  scarcely  an 
American  family  in  London  retired  to  rest  until  they  had  re- 
ceived news  of  your  latest  bulletin  telling  of  the  almost  hope- 
less condition  of  the  sufferer.  Telegrams  keep  pouring  in  from 
all  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom  asking  for  detailed  informa- 
tion. 

OFFICIAL    DESPATCHES. 

The  news  was  received  at  the  Foreign  Office  a  little  before 
four  o'clock,  and  a  message  was  immediately  forwarded  to  Lord 
Granville  at  his  private  residence.  He  at  once  communicated 


PRESIDENT  OARFIELD.  203 

it  to  the  other  members  of  the  Cabinet  and  to  the  Queen  at 
Windsor,  -who  was  deeply  moved  by  the  startling  intelligence. 
During  the  afternoon  Lord  Granville  called  twice  at  the  Lega- 
tion to  inquire  after  the  condition  of  the  President.  Later  in 
the  evening  Minister  Lowell  received  the  following  despatch 
from  Her  Majesty : 

"  Sir  Henry  Ponsonby,  Windsor  Castle,  to  His  Excellency  Mr. 
Lowell,  United  States  Minister  : — 

"  The  Queen  has  heard  with  the  deepest  concern  the  report 
of  an  attempt  having  been  made  on  the  life  of  the  President, 
and  sincerely  trusts  that  the  rumors  of  his  having  been  seriously 
wounded  are  untrue.  Her  Majesty  would  be  glad  to  learn  any 
news  you  may  be  able  to  give  her." 

This  despatch  was  immediately  communicated  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  State  at  Washington. 


COMMENTS    OF    THE    "  OBSERVER. 

The  following  appears  in  this  morning's  Observer  in  double 
lead:  "A  most  profound  and  sincere  feeling  of  regret  will  be 
occasioned  by  the  news  we  publish  this  morning  of  a  dastardly 
crime  of  which  the  President  of  the  United  States  has  been  the 
victim.  There  is  no  evidence  as  yet  that  the  attempted  assas- 
sination comes  under  the  category  of  political  crimes.  Mr. 
Garfield  owes  the  attempt  upon  his  life,  in  as  far  as  is  known, 
to  the  fancied  grievance  sustained  by  some  dismissed  official. 
Regicide,  however  monstrous  in  itself,  is  still  an  intelligible 
crime — that  is,  a  crime  for  which  it  is  possible  to  assign  a  mo- 
tive ;  but  to  kill  one  President  with  the  view  of  making  room 
for  another  is  an  act  of  insane  folly,  as  well  as  wickedness, 
which  is  hardly  likely  to  be  committed  by  any  man  in  his 
senses.  It  is  too  early  yet  to  form  any  opinion  as  to  the  Presi- 
dent's chances  of  recovery,  but  our  American  kinsmen  may  rest 
assured  that  the  intelligence  from  Washington  will  be  awaited 
almost  as  eagerly  by  Englishmen  as  by  the  President's  own 
fellow  countrymen." 


204  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


Telegrams  from  far  and   near  conveying  Expres- 
sions of  Sorrow,  and  the  Answers  sent. 

SECRETARY    ELAINE    TO    MINISTER   LOWELL. 

WASHINGTON,  July  2. — The  following  has  been  forwarded  by 
cable : 

DEPARTMENT  OF  STATE, 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  2. 
James  Russell  Lowell,  Minister,  etc.,  London : 

The  President  of  the  United  States  was  shot  this  morning  by 
an  assassin  named  Charles  Gruiteau.  The  weapon  was  a  large- 
sized  revolver.  The  President  had  just  reached  the  Baltimore 
and  Potomac  station,  at  about  9.20,  intending,  with  a  portion 
of  his  Cabinet,  to  leave  on  the  limited  express  for  New  York. 
I  rode  in  the  carriage  with  him  from  the  Executive  Mansion, 
and  was  walking  by  his  side  when  he  was  shot.  The  assassin 
was  immediately  arrested,  and  the  President  was  conveyed  to 
a  private  room  in  the  station  building  and  surgical  aid  at  once 
summoned.  He  has  now,  at  10.20,  been  removed  to  the 
Executive  Mansion.  The  surgeons,  on  consultation,  regard  his 
wounds  as  very  serious,  though  not  necessarily  fatal.  His  vig- 
orous health  gives  strong  hopes  of  his  recovery.  He  has  not 
lost  consciousness  for  a  moment.  Inform  our  Ministers  in 
Europe.  JAMES  G.  ELAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 

MINISTER   LOWELL    TO    SECRETARY    ELAINE. 

LONDON,  July  2. 
Elaine,  Secretary,  Washington : 

Telegram  received.  Express  to  Mrs.  Garfield  the  profound 
sympathy  of  this  legation.  Queen  has  sent  to  inquire  and  ex- 
press solicitude.  LOWELL, 

Minister. 

EARL    GRANYILLE    TO     MINISTER   THORNTON. 

LONDON,  July  2,  5  P.M. 
Thornton,  Washington : 

Is  it  true  that  President  Garfield  has  been  shot  at  ?  If  so, 
express  at  once  great  concern  of  Her  Majesty's  Government 


PRESIDENT  OARFIELD.  205 

and  our  hope  that  report  that  he  has  sustained  serious  injury  is 
not  true.  GRANVILLE, 

Foreign  Office,  London. 

GENERAL  HANCOCK  TO  GENERAL  SHERMAN. 

GOVERNOR'S  ISLAND,  N.  Y.,  July  2. 
To  General  W.  T.  Sherman,  Washington: 

I  trust  that  the  result  of  the  assault  upon  the  life  of  the  Pres- 
ident to-day  may  not  have  fatal  consequences,  and  that  in  the 
interest  of  the  country  the  act  may  be  shown  to  have  been  that 
of  a  madman.  Thanks  for  your  despatch  and  for  your  promise 
of  further  information.  W.  S.  HANCOCK. 

GENERAL    GRANT    TO    SECRETARY    LINCOLN. 

ELBERON,  N.  J.,  July  2. 
To  Secretary  Lincoln,  Washington  : 

Please  despatch  me  the  condition  of  the  President.  News 
received  conflicts.  I  hope  the  most  favorable  may  be  confirmed. 
Express  to  the  President  my  deep  sympathy  and  hope  that  he 
may  speedily  recover.  TJ.  S.  GKANT. 

MINISTER   LOWELL    TO    SECRETARY    ELAINE. 

LONDON,  July  3,  1881. 
To  Elaine,  Secretary,  Washington : 

Just  received  the  following  from  the  Queen :  "  I  am  most 
anxious  to  hear  latest  accounts  of  the  President,  and  wish  my 
horror  and  deep  sympathy  to  be  conveyed  to  him  and  Mrs.  Gar- 
field."  LOWELL, 

Minister. 

SECRETARY    ELAINE    TO    MINISTER    LOWELL. 

Sunday. 
Lowell,  Minister,  London : 

Please  convey  to  her  Majesty,  the  Queen,  the  thanks  of  the 
President  and  Mrs.  Garfield  for  her  repeated  expressions  of  sym- 
pathy and  interest.  Inform  her  Majesty  that  at  this  hour,  12.30, 


206  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

the  condition  of  the  President  is  much  improved,  and  his  symp- 
toms are  regarded  as  favorable,  or  at  least  hopeful. 

BLAINE, 

Secretary. 

MR.  EVART8    AND    OTHERS   TO    SECRETARY    BLAINE. 

PARIS,  July  3. 
Elaine,  Secretary,  Washington: 

Our  countrymen  receive  successive  accounts  of  President's 
condition  with  profound  sorrow  and  deepest  sympathy  with 
public  and  private  affliction.  We  receive  expressions  of  con- 
dolence and  of  horror  at  crime  from  representatives  of  other 
nations.  We  still  cherish  hopes  of  favorable  issue,  and  desire  to 
express  our  heartfelt  sympathy  in  the  grief  that  surrounds  the 
President  EVARTS. 

THURMAN. 

HOWE. 

HORTON. 

0.  H.  GROSVENOR    TO    COLONEL    ROCKWELL. 

ATHENS,  OHIO,  July  3,  1881. 
Colonel  A.  F.  Rockwell,  Executive  Mansion,  Washington : 

The  first  encouraging  word  has  filled  us  all  with  joy.  May 
God  save  the  President  C.  H.  GROSVENOR. 

H.  D.  D.  TWIGGS  TO  COL.  ROCKWELL. 

AUGUSTA,  GA.,  July  3,  1881. 
Colonel  A.  F.  Rockwell,  Washington : 

The  people  of  this  city  and  of  Georgia  generally  profoundly 
sympathize  with  the  President  and  with  the  country  in  the 
present  calamity.  Prayers  for  his  recovery  will  be  offered  in 
the  churches  to-day.  H.  D.  D.  TWIGGS. 

W.  H.  ROBERTSON  TO  SECRETARY  BLAINE. 

ALBANY,  Jujy  3. 

To  the  Hon.  James  G.  Blaine,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington : 

Will  you  tell  me  the  President's  present  condition  ?    Reports 

vary  greatly.     Reassure  him  of  my  deepest  sympathy  with  him 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  207 

in  this  hour  of  the  nation's  peril,  and  with  Mrs.  Garfield  in  the 
terrible  affliction.  Prayers  more  fervent  and  earnest  than  ever 
before  for  any  man,  or  any  cause,  will  go  up  to-day  from 
every  church  and  every  loyal  heart  in  the  land  that  he  may  be 
spared.  May  a  kind  Providence  grant  the  petition. 

W.  H.  ROBERTSON. 


H.  A.  BARNUM  TO  COL.  CORBIN. 

NEW  YORK,  July  3. 
Colonel  H.  C.  Corbin,  Executive  Mansion,  Washington  : 

What  is  the  condition  of  the  President  at  this  hour  ?  God 
grant  his  preservation  to  the  nation  he  has  served  so  well  and 
the  myriad  of  friends  who  love  him  as  a  brother. 

H.  A.  BAKNTJM. 

SECRET  ART  ELAINE  TO  MR.  ROBERTSON. 

WASHINGTON,  July  3. 
The  Hon.  William  H.  Robertson,  Albany,  N.  F.  : 

We  grow  more  and  more  encouraged  as  to  the  final  result, 
though  still  most  deeply  anxious.  The  President's  condition 
has  steadily  improved  since  last  night  at  nine  o'clock,  and  now, 
at  3  P.M.,  he  is  doing  as  well  as  his  physicians  could  possibly 
hope.  He  has  never  lost  consciousness  or  courage  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  awaits  the  issue  with  more  calmness  than  his  sur- 
rounding friends.  JAMES  G.  ELAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 

OOV.  CORNELL  TO  SECRETARY  ELAINE. 

ALBANY,  July  3. 
The  Hon.  James  G.  Elaine,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington : 

This  morning's  tidings,  which  were  awaited  with  extreme 
anxiety,  have  been  received  with  reverent  thankfulness.  The 
improved  condition  of  the  President  is  gratefully  accepted  as 
the  basis  of  hope  for  his  early  convalescence.  Assure  the  Pres- 
ident that  the  people  are  thoroughly  united  in  expressions  of 
horror  and  indignation  on  account  of  the  wicked  crime,  as  well 
as  in  prayerful  solicitude  for  his  speedy  and  complete  restora- 
tion. ALONZO  B.  CORNELL. 


208  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 


SECRETARY  ELAINE  TO  GOV.  CORNELL. 

WASHINGTON,  July  8. 

To  the  Hon.  Alonzo  B.  Cornell,  Governor,  etc.,  Albany,  N.  Y.  : 
The  President's  condition  has  steadily  improved  for  the  past 
eighteen  hours.  He  is  now,  at  3  o'clock  P.M.,  doing  as  well  as 
his  physicians  could  hope.  We  all  feel  greatly  encouraged, 
though  still  profoundly  anxious.  The  President  returns  his 
sincere  thanks  for  your  warm  expressions  of  sympathy.  He 
bears  up  wonderfully,  and  faces  death  with  the  calmness  of  true 
Christian  courage.  JAMES  G.  ELAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 

KING  ALFONSO  TO  MR.  BARCA. 

MADRID,  Jmy  3,  1881. 
To  Spanish  Minister,  Washington  : 

In  the  name  of  the  King  express  to  the  Government  of  the 
United  States  the  profound  sorrow  that  the  attempt  against  the 
President's  life  has  caused  in  Spain.  His  Majesty  and  his  Gov- 
ernment fervently  hope  for  the  recovery  of  President  Garfield. 

MINISTER  MORAN  TO  SECRETARY  ELAINE. 

LISBON,  PORTUGAL,  July  3. 
Elaine,  Secretary,  Washington: 

Am  horrified  by  the  attempt  upon  the  President's  life. 
Await  intelligence  with  intense  anxiety.  MORAN. 

FROM    THE    MAYOR    OF   JACKSONVILLE. 

JACKSONVILLE,  FLA.,  July  3. 
The  Hon.  James  G.  Elaine,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington  : 

The  citizens  of  Jacksonville,  in  common  with  the  entire  coun- 
try, are  shocked  at  the  intelligence  of  the  attempted  assassina- 
tion of  the  President,  and  desire  that  you  express  to  Mrs.  Gar- 
field  their  sincere  sympathy  in  this  hour  of  her  deep  grief,  and 
their  hope  that  the  President  may  be  spared  to  the  country,  the 
genius  of  whose  institutions  he  so  grandly  illustrates. 

MORRIS  A.  DZEALINSKI, 

Mayor  of  Jacksonville. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


GOV.  FOSTER   TO    SECRETARY    ELAINE. 

COLUMBUS,  OHIO,  July  3. 
The  Hon.  James  G.  Elaine,  Secretary  of  State : 

The  continued  favorable  reports  are  gratefully  received.  I 
have  requested  the  people  of  the  State  to  assemble  in  the 
churches  to-morrow  to  engage  in  devotion  to  Almighty  God,  and 
that  the  celebration  of  to-morrow  shall  be  conducted  in  accord 
with  the  then  physical  condition  of  the  President.  May  God 
grant  him  speedy  and  full  recovery  is  the  prayer  of  all.  Please 
read  this  despatch  to  the  President.  CHARLES  FOSTER. 

SECRETARY  ELAINE  TO  GOV.  FOSTER. 

WASHINGTON,  July  3,  9.15  P.M. 
His  Excellency  Charles  Foster,  Governor  of  Ohio : 

The  President  is  deeply  touched  with  the  feelings  of  affection 
manifested  by  the  people  of  his  native  State,  as  shown  by  your 
telegram,  just  received.  His  condition  is  unchanged.  No  un- 
favorable symptoms  supervened,  and  his  fortitude  and  cheerful- 
ness are  admirable.  I  trust  the  pious  and  devoted  example  of 
Ohio  may  be  followed  by  all  the  States  of  the  Union  to-morrow. 
JAMES  G.  ELAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 

FROM    THE    HANCOCK    ASSOCIATION. 

NEW  ORLEANS,  July  3. 
The  Hon.  James  G.  Elaine,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington : 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Hancock  Association  of  Louisiana,  cop- 
vened  by  order  of  the  President,  at  No.  11  Commercial  Place, 
John  McEnery  called  the  association  to  order,  and,  referring  to 
the  recent  sad  intelligence  from  Washington  of  the  attempt  to 
assassinate  President  Garfield,  invited  the  members  to  manifest 
their  sorrow  and  sympathy  in  some  appropriate  form,  where- 
upon Isaac  W.  Patton  offered  the  following  resolutions : 

Ee  it  resolved,  That  the  attempt  to  assassinate  President  Gar- 
field  has  been  received  and  regarded  by  the  members  of  this 
association  and  by  their  fellow-countrymen  as  a  great  calamity 
to  the  nation,  and  arouses  in  the  breasts  of  all  patriotic  citizen? 


210  TEE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

the  profoundest  sorrow  and  sympathy  for  the  President  and  his 
family,  and  grave  anxieties  for  the  troubles  and  turmoil  that  may 
result  to  the  Republic  from  so  horrible  a  crime. 

Resolved,  That  we  cherish  the  most  earnest  and  sincere  hope, 
and  unite  with  all  good  people  in  their  fervent  prayers  for  the 
recovery  of  the  President  from  his  great  affliction. 

These  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted,  and  were  or- 
dered to  be  telegraphed  to  the  Secretary  of  State  of  the  United 
States.  JOHN  McENERY,  President. 

ROBERT  W.  ADAMS,  Secretary. 


AN   ITALIAN    SOCIETY    TO    SECRETARY    ELAINE. 

BALTIMORE,  July  3. 
The  Hon.  James  G.  Elaine,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington : 

Please  forward  to  his  Excellency  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  the  profound  sympathy  of  the  Italian  beneficial  society 
Unione  e  Fratellanz,  of  Baltimore,  and  wishes  for  his  speedy 
recovery.  M.  VICARI,  President. 

L.  LAZZENI,  Secretary. 

FROM  THE  PEOPLE  OF  ROUMANIA. 

BUCHAREST,  ROUMANLA,  July  8. 
His  Excellency  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  Washington  : 

The  crime  at  Washington  has  filled  our  hearts  with  horror. 
In  the  name  of  the  Government  and  of  the  entire  people  of 
Roumania  I  transmit  to  your  Excellency  this  evidence  of  the 
sentiments  of  grief  which  the  news  of  the  assassination  has  in- 
spired throughout  this  country,  and  I  beg  you  to  express  these 
sentiments  to  the  Government  and  to  the  family  of  the  illus- 
trious victim.  I.  C.  BRATIANO, 
President  of  the  Council  of  Ministers,  and  Minister  of  Foreign 

A/airs. 

MINISTER   LOWELL    TO    SECRETARY    ELAINE. 

To  Blaine,  Secretary,  Washington : 

Messages  of  inquiry  and  sympathy  have  been  received  from 
Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales,  and  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Teck. 


PRESIDENT  OARF1ELD.  $11 

Expressions  of  interest  and  sympathy  are  universal.  Calls  at 
ray  house  and  the  legation  are  incessant.  I  have  duly  for- 
warded your  telegrams  to  our  legations  in  Europe. 

LOWELL,  Minister,  London. 

FRANK    GOODMAN    TO    SECRETARY    ELAINE. 

NASHVILLE,  TENN.,  July  3. 
The  Hon.  James  G.  Blaine,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington : 

In  behalf  of  the  profession  of  which  President  Garfield  was 
an  honored  member  and  the  Business  Educators'  Association,  I 
extend  to  himself  and  family  our  profoundest  sympathy,  hoping 
for  a  speedy  recovery.  FRANK  GOODMAN, 

Vice-President  Business  Educator^  Association  of  America. 

FROM  THE  MAYOR  OF  ST.  JOHN. 

ST.  JOHN,  NEW  BRUNSWICK,  July  3. 
The  Hon.  James  G.  Blaine,  Washington  : 

The  citizens  of  St.  John,  New  Brunswick,  desire  to  express 
their  deep  and  heartfelt  sympathy  with  President  Garfield  and 
his  family  in  this  time  of  their  great  affliction.  They  recognize 
in  the  President  a  great  statesman  and  Christian  gentleman,  and 
sincerely  trust  that  in  the  good  providence  of  the  Almighty  he 
may  soon  be  restored  to  perfect  health. 

I.  JONES,  Mayor. 

MR.  HAMLIN    TO    SECRETARY    BLAINE. 

BANGOR,  ME.,  July  3. 
James  G.  Blaine,  Washington : 

Telegrams  received.  Information  of  the  hopeful  condition 
of  the  President  is  a  great  relief  to  all,  but  we  are  all  terribly 
anxious.  Convey  my  earnest,  heartfelt  sympathy  to  the  Presi- 
dent and  family.  "  H.  HAMLIN. 

FROM    THE    KING    OF    SWEDEN. 

To  the  Secretary  of  State  : 

SIR:  His  majesty  the  King,  my  august  sovereign,  has  bidden 
me  express  the  horror  with  which  he  has  learned  of  the  awful 


212  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

attempt  against  the  life  of  his  Excellency  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  and  the  sentiments  of  sorrowful  sympathy  which 
he  feels  for  the  whole  American  people  in  this  hour  of  their 
deep  affliction,  and  the  sincere  prayers  which  he  offers  for  the 
speedy  recovery  of  the  illustrious  invalid,  in  which  the  people 
of  the  United  Kingdoms  of  Sweden  and  Norway  join. 


CLARA    MOERIS    TO    MRS.  ROCKWELL. 

RIVERDALE,  N.  Y.,  July  3. 
To  Mrs.  A.  F.  Rockwell,  Executive  Mansion : 

For  Mrs.  G-arfield.  At  such  a  time  I  will  not  presume  to  re- 
call myself  to  Mrs.  Garfield  by  directly  addressing  her,  yet  I 
cannot  remain  silent.  May  I  not  hope,  Madam,  that  through 
your  courtesy  and  good  judgment  the  afflicted  lady  may  re- 
ceive the  assurances  of  my  heartfelt  sympathy,  and  earnest 
prayers  for  the  welfare  of  her  and  hers.  Of  course,  hundreds 
are  at  hand  to  render  all  great  services  for  the  patient,  but  if  I 
can  aid  in  even  the  most  trivial  way,  command  me  I  entreat  you, 
and,  dear  Madam,  believe  me  most  respectfully, 

CLARA  MORRIS. 


COLONEL    ROCKWELL    TO    CLARA    MORRIS. 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION,  July  4. 
Mrs.  Clara  Morris-Harriott,  Riverdale,  N.  T. : 

Mrs.  Garfield  wishes  me  to  express  to  you  her  grateful  appre- 
ciation for  your  kind  and  heartfelt  words.  She  feels  that  the 
sympathy  and  prayers  of  her  countrywomen  at  this  time  are  of 
measureless  value  and  comfort.  A.  T.  ROCKWELL. 


FROM    THE    SOCIETY    OF    THE    CINCINNATI. 

NEW  YORK,  July  4. 
To  Hon.  James  G.  Elaine,  Washington,  D.  C.  : 

The  New  York  State  Society  of  the  Cincinnati  have  heard 
with  heartfelt  sorrow  and  indignation  of  the  murderous  assault 
upon  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and  they  desire  to  ex- 
press to  the  family  of  the  President  their  deep  sympathy  in  the 


PRESIDENT  QARFIELD.  213 

distressing  calamity  which  has  so  suddenly  overwhelmed  them 
in  the  deepest  grief,  and  to  join  their  prayers  with  those  of  the 
whole  community  that  our  heavenly  Father  may  bless  with  suc- 
cess the  means  used  for  his  recovery,  and  may  continue  to  our 
country  and  its  institutions  his  care  and  protection  in  the  severe 
trials  that  may  be  impending. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  the  foregoing,  certified  by  the  Presi- 
dent and  Secretary,  be  transmitted  by  telegraph  to  the  Honora- 
ble Secretary  of  State  of  the  United  States. 

HAMILTON  FISH,  President. 

JOHN  SCHUYLER,  Secretary. 


REPLY    OF    SECRETARY    ELAINE. 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C., 
EXECUTIVE  MANSION,  July  4. 

To  the  Hon.  Hamilton  Fish,  President  of  the  Society  of  the  Cin- 
cinnati, N.  Y. : 

Accept,  on  behalf  of  the  President,  the  sincerest  thanks  for 
the  sympathy  of  your  illustrious  and  patriotic  society. 

JAMES  G.  ELAINE, 

Secretary  of  State. 

FROM    THE    ITALIAN    CHARGE    D'AFFAIRES. 

NEW  YORK,  July  2. 
To  Secretary  of  State,  Washington: 

I  have  just  learned  with  the  deepest  regret  and  indignation  of 
the  horrible  attempt  on  the  President's  life.  I  sincerely  trust 
he  may  recover.  CAMPOREALE, 

Charge  $  Affaires  of  Italy. 

FROM    THE    EMPEROR    OF   JAPAN. 

TOKIO,  July  4. 

To  Yoshida,  Japanese  Minister,  Washington: 

The  despatch  announcing  an  attempt  upon  the  life  of  the 
President  has  caused  here  profound  sorrow,  and  you  are  hereby 
instructed  to  convey,  in  the  name  of  his  Majesty,  to  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  United  States  the  deepest  sympathy  and  hope  that 


214  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

his  recovery  will  be  speedy.     Make  immediate  and  full  report 
regarding  the  sad  event.    "  WOO   YENO, 

Acting  Minister  for  Foreign  Affair*. 

FROM    THE    LORD    MAYOR    OF    DUBLIN. 

DUBLIN,  July  4. 
To  American  Minister,  Washington: 

Municipal  Council,  assembled  to-day,  takes  earliest  opportu- 
nity of  expressing  great  sorrow  and  regret  at  dastardly  attempt 
on  life  of  gallant,  distinguished  President  of  United  States,  and 
desires  to  tender  its  deep  sympathy  to  the  Americans  and  Gen- 
eral Garfield's  family.  LORD  MAYOR  DUBLIN. 

MR.  PARNELL   TO   SECRETARY    ELAINE. 

To  Secretary  Elaine : 

In  behalf  of  Irish  members  I  beg  to  express  our  horror  at 
crime  against  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  American  people,  and  our 
earnest  prayer  that  his  life  may  be  spared.  PARNELL, 

House  of  Commons. 

OOV.    COBB  TO    SECRETARY    ELAINE. 

MONTGOMERY,  ALA.,  July  2. 

To  the  Hon.  James  G.  Blaine,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington  : 
Profound  and  universal  sympathy  here  for  President.     Tele- 
graph us  his  condition.  R.  W.  COBB,  Governor. 

SECRETARY    BLAINE    TO    AMOS    TOWNSEND. 

To  the  Hon.  Amos  Townsend,  Cleveland,  Ohio : 

The  President's  condition  has  not  materially  changed  since 
morning.  At  this  hour,  2.30,  he  is  suffering  less  pain.  He  is 
entirely  calm  and  courageous.  His  mind  is  clear,  and  he  ac- 
cepts whatever  fate  God  may  ordain  for  him  with  perfect  resig- 
nation and  sublime  Christian  faith.  We  are  profoundly  anxious 
and  yet  hopeful  as  to  the  final  result,  JAMES  G.  BLAINE. 

WHITELAW    REID    TO    MRS.  GARFIELD. 

To  Mrs.  Gar  field  : 
Love,  sympathy,  and  hope. 

WHITELAW  REID  AND  WIFE. 


PRESIDENT  OARFIELD.  216 

FEOM    AN   EX-CONFEDERATE    SOLDIER. 

EDENTON,  N.  C.,  July  8. 
To  His  Excellency  J.  A.  Garfield : 

A  blind  and  wounded  ex-Confederate  soldier  tenders  his  con- 
gratulations on  your  improved  condition.  May  God  raise  you 
to  preserve  the  peace  and  dignity  of  the  nation. 

F.  W.  BOND. 

FROM    TWO    CATHOLIC    BISHOPS. 

FORT  WAYNE,  IND.,  July  3. 
To  the  President  of  the  United  States : 

The  Catholic  Bishops  of  Peoria  and  Fort  Wayne  desire  to 
express  their  most  sincere  sympathy  and  the  most  earnest  wish 
for  your  speedy  recovery.  J.  L.  SPALDING, 

JOSEPH  DEVENGER. 

FROM    THE    LADIES    OF    RICHMOND. 

RICHMOND,  VA.,  July  3. 
To  Mrs.  Gar  field: 

We  deeply  sympathize  with  you  in  your  sad  affliction.     We 
shall  to-day  send  up  many  earnest  prayers  for  the  speedy  recov- 
ery of  your  affectionate  husband  and  our  beloved  President 
THE  LADIES  OF  RICHMOND. 

FROM    KING    CHARLES    OF    ROUMANIA. 

BUCHAREST,  CATROCINI,  July  4. 
To  President  Garfald,  Washington: 

I  have  learned  with  the  greatest  indignation,  and  deplore  most 
deeply,  the  horrible  attempt  against  your  precious  life,  and  beg 
you  to  accept  my  warmest  wishes  for  your  quick  recovery. 

M.  OUTREY    TO    MRS.  OARFIELD. 

PARIS,  July  4. 

To  Madame  Garfield,  Executive  Mansion : 
Accept  expression  of  our  deepest  sympathy.      OUTREY. 


216  THE  ASSASSINATION  Off 


SECRETARY  BLAINE    TO    AMERICANS    IN    PARIS. 

An  important  consultation  was  held  this  morning,  in  which 
Dr.  Agnew,  of  Philadelphia,  and  Dr.  Hamilton,  of  New  York, 
able  and  skilful  surgeons,  were  present.  The  result  is  not  re- 
assuring, though  the  conclusion  was  that  recovery  is  possible. 
We  do  not  give  up  hope.  BLAINE, 

Secretary. 

FROM    A   DEMOCRATIC    CONVENTION. 

ZANESVILLE,  OHIO,  July  4. 

In  the  Democratic  Convention  of  Muskingum  County,  held 
here  to-day,  for  appointing  delegates  to  the  Democratic  State 
Convention,  the  unanimous  sentiments  of  the  members  were 
expressed  in  the  following  resolution  offered  by  Mr.  George  W. 
Jewett,  son  of  the  Hon.  H.  J.  Jewett,  of  this  city,  which  were 
forthwith  adopted  by  the  united  voices  of  all  present : 

Resolved,  That,  in  common  with  all  patriotic  citizens,  the 
members  of  this  convention  view  with  horror  and  indignation 
the  act  having  for  its  purpose  the  taking  of  the  life  of  our  Chief 
Magistrate,  and  that  we  regard  such  an  attempt  as  the  highest 
and  most  revolting  of  crimes  ; 

Resolved,  That  we  extend  our  heartfelt  sympathies  to  our 
wounded  President  and  to  his  gentle  wife  and  family,  and 
prayerfully  trust  that  Providence  will  save  to  our  country  his 
life,  and  to  his  family  the  kind-hearted  man,  the  brave  husband 
and  father,  and  one  the  country  would  learn  to  know  better  and 
to  love.  T.  R  SP ANGLER. 

FROM    PHILADELPHIA    CINCINNATI. 

PHILADELPHIA,  July  4. 
The  Hon.  J.  G.  Elaine  : 

Will  you  be  good  enough  to  communicate  to  the  President 
the  following  resolution,  unanimously  adopted  by  the  State  So- 
ciety of  the  Cincinnati  of  Pennsylvania  at  a  meeting  held  this 
day  : 

Resolved,  That  the  present  critical  condition  of  President  Gar- 
field  fills  our  hearts  with  the  deepest  grief  and  sympathy,  and 
while  as  a  society  we  utterly  condemn  the  cruel  act  of  the. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  217 

assassin,  we  offer  our  fervent  prayer  to  the  Almighty  Ruler  of 
the  universe  that  the  life  of  our  beloved  and  honored  President 
may  be  preserved  for  the  best  interest  of  the  Republic. 

FRANCIS  M.  CALDWELL, 
Secretary. 

FEOM    THE    ISRAELITES    OF    BOSTON. 

NEW  ERA  HALL,  July  4,  1881. 

The  Hon.   James  G.  Elaine,  Secretary   of  State,  Washington, 
D.  C.: 

The  Israelites  of  Boston,  in  convention  assembled,  extend 
their  heartfelt  sympathy  for  President  Garfield  and  their  intense 
indignation  at  the  outrage  committed  on  our  honored  Execu- 
tive. Convey  our  profound  sorrow  and  tenderest  sympathy  to 
Mrs.  Garfield  and  family.  Our  prayers  are  fervently  offered  that 
the  President  may  recover  and  live  to  fulfil  the  promise  of  hia 
grand  career  at  the  helm  of  our  beloved  country. 

EDWARD  S.  GOULSTON, 

Chairman. 

CHARLES  MORSE,    ) 
ISRAEL  COHN,          [  Committee. 
ISAAC  ROSNOSKY, ) 


CONSUL-GENERAL  SMITH   TO    MR.  ELAINE. 

MONTREAL,  July  4. . 
To  Hon.  J.  O.  Elaine,  Secretary  of  State: 

The  manifestations  of  sympathy  in  this  city  have  been  uni- 
versal. I  have  just  heard  that  the  City  Council  has  adopted  a 
resolution  expressive  of  the  deep  feeling  by  all  citizens.  The 
late  favorable  despatches  are  giving  great  encouragement. 

J.  G.  SMITH, 
Consul-General. 

FROM   BARTHELEMY    ST.    HILAIRE. 

PARIS,  July  3. 
To  M.  de  Geofroy,  French  Minister,  Washington  : 

Be  good  enough  to  convey  to  Mine.  Garfield  the  sentiment 
of  sorrow  and  sympathy  which  the  President  and  Government 
feel    You  will  express  at  the  same  time  to  the  Vice-President 
10 


218  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

of  the  United  States  the  deep  and  profound  grief  which  this  at- 
tempt has  caused  throughout  all  France. 

BARTHELEMY  ST.  HILAIRE. 

FROM    THE    FRENCH    SECRETARY    OF    STATE. 

PARIS,  July  4. 

To  M.  de  Geofroy,  French  Minister,  Washington : 
Send  us  frequent  news  of  the  President. 

LE  COMTE  DE  CHOISEUL, 

Under- Secretary  of  State. 

FROM    GEORGETOWN   COLLEGE. 

The  President  and  faculty  of  Georgetown  College  congratu- 
late Mrs.  Garfield  on  the  improved  condition  of  the  President. 
It  is  our  fervent  hope  and  prayer  that  the  good  God  who  pre- 
served her  unto  the  President  may  now  in  turn  preserve  him  unto 
her  and  the  country.  F.  HEALY, 

President. 

FROM    CITIZENS    OF   DUBLIN. 

DUBLIN,  July  4. 

A  great  meeting  of  Dublin  citizens  under  the  auspicies  of  the 
Land  League,  celebrating  American  independence,  has  unani- 
mously passed  resolutions  expressing  deep  sympathy  with  the 
President  and  hope  for  his  speedy  recovery,  denouncing  the  out- 
rage and  deploring  the  attack  on  the  chief  officer  of  a  free  com- 
munity where  the  will  of  the  people  is  the  supreme  law. 

SEXTON,  M.  P. 

FROM  PHILADELPHIA'S  PEOPLE. 

PHILADELPHIA,  July  4. 

Twenty  thousand  people  present  at  the  exercises  of  the  Bi-Cen- 
tennial  Association  of  Pennsylvania  to-day  joined  in  the  solemn 
expression  of  a  prayerful  hope  that  the  encouraging  symptoms 
reported  from  the  bedside  of  the  wounded  patriot  and  states- 
man may  speedily  be  followed  by  the  assurance  of  a  certain 
recovery. 

E.  C.  KNIGHT, 

President. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  219 


CANADIAN    SYMPATHY. 

MONTREAL,  July  4. 

This  afternoon,  just  before  business  was  commenced  by  the 
Montreal  City  Council,  a  motion  offered  by  Alderman  Genier 
and  seconded  by  Alderman  George  Washington  Stephens  was 
carried  unanimously:  "That  the  sympathy  of  the  people  of 
Montreal  be  given  to  the  people  of  the  United  States  and  their 
condolence  extended  to  the  relatives  of  President  Garfield  in 
the  terrible  calamity  that  has  befallen  them."  One  Alderman 
regretted  that,  for  once,  the  trial  of  the  assassin  had  not  been 
anticipated  by  Judge  Lynch.  This  fairly  represents  the  feeling 
among  the  people  of  Canada. 

QUEBEC,  July  4. 

In  the  English  Cathedral  yesterday  prayers  were  offered  for 
the  recovery  of  President  Garfield.  Great  sympathy  is  ex- 
pressed for  him  and  his  family,  and  the  hotels  and  offices  of 
the  newspapers  and  of  Consul  Wasson  are  besieged  by  anxious 
inquirers  for  the  latest  bulletins. 

OTTAWA,  ONT.,  July  4. 

The  excitement  still  continues  here  over  the  attempted  assas- 
sination of  President  Garfield,  and  the  latest  news  is  anxiously 
looked  for. 

HALIFAX,  N.  S.,  July  4. 

The  reception  arranged  to  take  place  to-morrow  on  Her 
Majesty's  steamer  Northampton  has  been  postponed  until  Sat- 
urday on  account  of  the  critical  condition  of  President  Garfield. 


220  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


VOICES  FEOM  THE  PULPIT. 


WHAT  PROMINENT  CLERGYMEN  SAID  TO  THEIR  CON- 
GREGATIONS. 

SORROWING    AT     THE     DISCIPLES      CHURCH A    SERMON     ON     THE 

ASSASSINATION  AND  ITS  CAUSES. 

WASHINGTON,  July  3.— The  plain  little  wooden  Church  of  the 
Disciples,  on  Vermont  Avenue,  where  the  Garfield  family  are 
accustomed  to  worship,  was  thronged  at  the  morning  service, 
despite  the  heat.  No  one  from  the  President's  household  was 
present.  Previous  to  the  arrival  of  the  minister  a  subdued  rest- 
lessness pervaded  the  congregation,  and  there  was  much  sober 
comparing  of  notes  and  asking  of  questions  in  regard  to  the  latest 
news  from  the  White  House.  In  the  absence  from  town  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Power,  the  pastor,  the  services  were  conducted  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Harbison,  of  Cincinnati,  who  said  in  the  course  of  his 
opening  prayer : 

"  And  now,  0  God  !  in  the  midst  of  this  deep  and  dark 
shadow  which  has  been  cast  across  our  land,  in  the  face  almost 
of  the  death  of  the  President  of  the  nation,  we  come  to  thee 
for  strength.  Thou  alone  can  support  those  who  are  most  deep- 
ly afflicted,  and  guide  the  nation  through  its  imminent  peril. 
We  pray  to  thee  for  the  President.  We  beseech  thee  to  be 
very  merciful  to  him.  We  ask  thee,  if  thou  wilt,  to  save  him 
from  death.  Oh,  may  he  recover  from  his  wounds.  Our  hearts 
yearn  for  this.  We  believe  that  in  his  great  office  a  mighty 
work  remains  to  be  perfected.  We  believe  that  great  interests 
have  been  confided  to  his  hands.  Oh,  save  him,  God.  We 
know  not  what  is  best  for  thee  to  do ;  but  if  it  be  thy  will, 
oh,  for  Christ's  sake  have  mercy."  (There  arose  here  a  sub- 
dued chorus  of  amens  from  all  over  the  house.)  "But  if  thou 
wilt  take  him  hence,"  continued  the  orator,  "  as  a  consequence 
of  this  fearful  calamity,  0  God,  prepare  him  for  the  solemn 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  221 

hour;  make  him  depend  upon  thee  more  and  more.  Bring 
forth  into  greater  prominence  the  faith  which  has  characterized 
his  past  life,  and  may  the  glorious  hope  of  immortality  brighten 
his  dying  bed."  At  this  moment  many  were  weeping,  and  sobs 
were  audible  from  every  direction.  Mr.  Harbison  proceeded : 
"  Lord,  bless  the  dear  sister,  his  companion,  herself  but  recently 
escaped  from  death.  May  she  be  consoled  in  spirit,  and  may 
Providence  surround  her.  Lead  her  children  in  the  path  of 
righteousness ;  save  them  from  the  sin  which  is  so  prevalent  in 
the  world,  and  which  is  worse  than  death,  and  lead  them  to 
honor  and  glory.  May  there  go  up  from  thousands  upon  thou- 
sands of  sorrowing  homes  to-day  throughout  the  land  an  earnest 
prayer  for  the  stricken  President.  Amen." 
On  arising  for  the  sermon  Mr.  Harbison  said : 
"  I  have  here  a  despatch  from  brother  Power,  saying  that  he 
will  reach  Washington  at  2  P.M.  It  has  been  thought  proper 
that  some  time  to-day  we  should  spend  a  while  together  as  a 
church  in  special  prayer-meeting  in  behalf  of  the  President  and 
his  family.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  I  would  order  the 
meeting  held  immediately  after  the  close  of  these  services ; 
but,  in  view  of  the  probability  of  Brother  Power's  arrival,  I  sug- 
gest that  it  take  place  at  the  close  of  the  evening  sermon,  a  little 
before  8  o'clock.  Let  me  read  you  an  announcement  just  re- 
ceived from  the  White  House:  10  A.M. — The  President  rested 
quietly  and  has  been  greatly  refreshed.  His  improving  con- 
dition gives  additional  hope  that  he  will  gradually  recover.  Pulse 
114;  respiration,  18;  temperature,  about  normal.  Signed  Dr. 
Bliss.  I  am  quite  aware,"  continued  the  speaker,  "  that  in  such 
a  time  as  this  people  generally,  judging  by  myself,  are  not  well 
qualified  to  think  of  much  else  than  the  deed — the  dark  and 
dastardly  deed— that  has  fallen  upon  us.  I  suppose  that  most  of 
you,  like  myself,  were  stunned,  and  have  scarcely  yet  become 
restored  to  a  normal  condition.  But  though  laboring  under  these 
difficulties,  I  will  attempt  this  morning  to  make  some  improve- 
ment of  the  sad  circumstances  surrounding  us,  and  I  do  not 
think  I  can  do  better,  for  the  glory  of  God,  than  to  call  your 
attention  to  the  thirty-second  verse  of  the  fifteenth  chapter  of 
the  First  Corinthians  :  '  If,  after  the  manner  of  men,  I  have  fought 
the  beasts  at  Ephesus,  what  advantage  is  it  to  me  if  the  dead 
rise  not  ?  Let  us  eat,  drink,  and  be  merry,  for  to-morrow  we 
die.'  I  selected  this  subject  before  the  sad  calamity  of  yes- 


222  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

terday  occurred,  and  after  it  occurred  I  could  see  no  good  rea- 
son for  changing  it,  for  it  seems  to  ine  that  there  is  ground  here 
for  some  practical  reflections  which  we  may  take  to  our  hearts 
now  with  deeper  importance  and  greater  tenderness.  The  latter 
part  of  the  text  emphasizes  the  event  of  yesterday.  President 
Garfield  starts  out  in  the  morning  joyfully  to  meet  his  friends, 
expecting  to  renew  old  acquaintances,  to  go  back  to  the  old  col- 
lege days,  and  to  mingle  with  those  whom  he  had  not  seen  in 
years,  and  instantly  his  life  is  put  in  peril  and  the  whole  nation  is 
cast  into  mourning.  O  human  life,  what  a  slender  thread  you 
hang  by !  Why  not  get  the  most  pleasure  out  of  it  ?  Why 
should  President  Garfield  continue  to  hold  affiliation  with  the 
people  meeting  in  this  little  church  on  Vermont  Avenue—people 
unpopular,  sometimes  persecuted,  often  put  to  great  disadvan- 
tages, on  account  of  their  belief ;  people  recent  in  independent  or- 
ganization, but  not  recent  in  principles,  which  are  as  old  as  the 
Christian  religion?  And  may  it  not  be  that  this  morning,  as  he 
lies  upon  his  bed  of  suffering,  facing  death,  he  is  saying :  '  What 
is  the  good  ?  Why  am  I  identified  with  a  people  like  this  when 
there  are  those  who  fill  their  sails  with  the  popular  breeze  with- 
out inconvenience,  social  or  otherwise  ?  In  a  moment  I  am  strick- 
en down,  and  all  this  goes  for  nothing  if  there  is  no  future,  no 
resurrection  of  the  dead.' " 

The  reverend  speaker  described  and  contrasted  stoicism  and 
epicureanism  in  ancient  Rome,  and  continued :  "  We  are  pass- 
ing through  a  history  very  similar  to  that  of  Rome.  When  the 
country  was  founded,  the  philosophy  of  stoicism,  born  of  Puri- 
tanism, was  the  belief  of  the  people  ;  but  after  the  days  of  sim- 
plicity had  passed  away,  there  began  to  be  a  decadence  of  the 
philosophy.  As  wealth  increased  in  a  wonderful  way,  and  in- 
ventions multiplied  for  easing  life  and  bringing  all  the  luxuries  and 
advantages  that  can  be  secured  in  physical  surrounding,  more  and 
more  the  people  wanted  to  believe  in  materialism,  and  the  grand 
old  doctrine  began  to  fall  into  neglect.  It  even  became  unpopular 
in  some  quarters  to  say  that  there  was  a  hell  for  the  wicked,  un- 
til now  we  find  that  if  a  man  desires  a  certain  kind  of  popular- 
ity he  immediately  proclaims  himself  a  materialist.  He  is  sure 
of  large  audiences  and  large  pay.  It  is  the  most  paying  invest- 
ment a  man  can  make  to  tell  the  people  that  the  true  Gospel  is 
the  gospel  of  good  living,  and  to  say,  '  Let  the  other  world  take 
care  of  itself.'  WThat  is  the  result  ?  Just  exactly  as  it  was  in 


PRESIDENT  GAEFIELD.  223 

Rome.  The  bands  of  public  and  private  morality  are  becoming 
relaxed,  and  men  are  beginning  to  treat  human  life  as  of  no  con- 
sideration. Let  me  read  for  you  from  the  assassin's  letter.  He 
says,  '  A  human  life  is  of  small  value.'  Yes,  if  we  believe  that 
human  life  is  no  more  than  that  of  a  horse  or  a  dog,  it  is  surely 
of  small  value.  He  goes  on :  '  Life  is  a  flimsy  thing,  and  it  mat- 
ters little  if  one  goes.'  Such  are  the  sentiments  which  the  epi- 
curean philosophy  of  the  present  day  assumes  to  weave  into  a 
justification  for  striking  down  the  President  of  the  United  States. 
We  have  been  sowing  the  wind,  and  we  are  reaping  the  whirl- 
wind. If  matters  go  on  as  for  a  few  years  past,  we  shall  have 
murders  and  house-burnings  and  heart-aches  ;  we  shall  have  such 
a  depreciated  state  of  society  in  this  country  as  old  Rome  saw 
when  her  philosophers  shunned  her  gates  and  sought  the  retire- 
ment of  distant  villas  for  the  purpose  of  escaping  the  existing 
whirlwinds  of  passion.  Say  what  you  will,  that  time  will  come  ; 
it  is  bound  to  come.  Let  me  tell  you  that  when  pleasure  is  made 
the  chief  god  selfishness  will  be  on  the  throne.  Each  man  will 
look  to  securing  his  own  pleasure  at  the  expense  of  others. 

"  He  who  studies  the  movement  of  American  society  cannot 
fail  to  see  that  we  are  under  a  reign  of  selfishness  in  striking 
contrast  to  forty  years  ago.  As  one  newspaper  said  this  morn- 
ing, office-seeking,  office-hunting,  and  looking  after  spoils  have 
become  the  main  object  of  life.  Each  man  is  trying  his  best 
to  crowd  the  others  out.  We  are  having  disgraceful  political 
fights,  and  we  may  expect  to  see  these  scenes  intensified.  Money, 
money,  is  the  craze  all  over  the  land ;  get  money,  no  matter 
how,  is  the  popular  cry.  Why  ?  Because  pleasure  is  the  chief 
end  of  man.  Such  is  the  tone  of  American  society  to-day,  and 
it  grieves  me  to  say  it.  Its  apostles  are  lionized.  The  men 
who  are  stabbing  American  morals  and  constitutional  govern- 
ment to  the  vitals  are  held  up  as  examples  to  follow  and  admire. 
I  say  to  you  that  the  President's  assassination  is  directly  charge- 
able to  this  philosophy  of  good  living  that  is  pervading  the 
minds  of  the  public  to-day,  and  assassinations  will  be  multiplied 
unless  we  call  a  halt.  I  predict  that  in  less  than  twenty-five  years, 
if  matters  go  on  as  they  are  going,  we  will  have  the  Roman  arena 
in  this  country,  and  I  do  not  think  it  improbable  that  gladiatorial 
combat  will  be  restored. 

"I  have  thought  proper,  my  dear  friends,"  continued  the 
speaker,  "  to  make  these  remarks  to  you  to-day  to  call  your 


224  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

attention  to  the  calamity  which  has  occurred,  and  to  the  real 
reason  for  it.  Under  the  utterances  of  the  assassin  we  discover 
the  principles  of  epicurean  philosophy.  May  be  that  God,  in 
his  goodness,  intended  to  awaken  the  people  when  he  let  the 
head  of  the  nation  be  stricken.  May  be  he  will  awaken  them. 
One  reason  why  I  had  hoped  against  hope  for  the  President's 
restoration  to  health  is  that  I  cannot  but  think  he  has  a  great 
work  to  perform.  Still,  it  may  be  that  more  can  be  accom- 
plished by  his  death  than  by  his  recovery.  I  doubt  not  that 
a  great  work  was  accomplished  by  the  death  of  Abraham  Lin- 
coln. I  never  doubted  that  his  murder  was  providential.  Even 
the  assassin  who  struck  with  such  vengeful  fury  yesterday  may 
have  brought  good  which  could  not  have  been  secured  in  any 
other  way.  Let  us  pray,  if  God  wishes,  that  he  will  continue 
the  life  of  James  A.  Garfield.  [Amen.]  It  is  right  in  any 
event  that  our  prayers  should  go  up  to  that  end.  But  if  God 
in  his  providence  thinks  it  better  to  take  James  A.  Garfield  to 
himself,  we  may  be  content  to  see  him  die.  It  is  a  hard  thing 
to  say,  but  it  may  be  said.  [Sobs.]  Whatever  the  issue,  we 
who  follow  the  Christian  philosophy  may  take  consolation  to 
our  hearts  that  God  is  working  out  his  own  ends,  and  we 
may  trust  him.  Though  the  ship  of  State  is  now  tossing  upon 
the  billows,  we  know  that  God  is  at  the  helm  of  the  universe, 
and  we  may  depend  upon  it  that  the  life  or  death  of  the  head 
of  the  nation  can  only  result  in  calming  the  ocean  and  securing 
to  the  nation  peace  and  blessing." 
The  congregation  then  sang: 

"  God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way, 
His  wonders  to  perform." 

After  communion  Mr.  Harbison  announced  that  the  special 
prayer-meeting  would  take  place  at  7.30  o'clock,  before  the 
sermon.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  service  the  congregation 
lingered  to  discuss  the  latest  bulletins,  and  much  joy  was  ex- 
pressed over  the  favorable  character  of  the  news. 

PRAYING  FOB  THE  PRESIDENT. 

.  The  little  Christian  Church  on  Vermont  Avenue  was  packed 
to  overflowing  in  the  evening.  The  heat  was  intense.  At  7.30 
o'clock  the  pastor,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Power,  who  had  arrived  from 
Cincinnati  during  the  afternoon,  said : 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  225 

The  purpose  of  our  congregating  together  for  a  few  moments 
to-night  before  the  usual  services  is  not  one  that  I  need  enlarge 
upon.  It  is  a  matter  we  can  scarcely  face.  We  can  say  but 
little  except  to  humble  ourselves  before  God,  and  leave  in  the 
hands  of  him  who  has  been  the  dwelling-place  for  all  genera- 
tions, to  work  out  in  his  own  way  our  good  and  the  good  of 
the  nation,  as  he  has  always  with  all  the  concern  we  have 
brought  to  him.  No  words  that  I  can  speak  can  express  the 
depth  of  feeling  of  the  people  all  through  this  country  over  the 
sad  and  appalling  intelligence.  The  assassin  said,  in  harmony 
with  the  infidel  teaching  of  the  day,  that  life  is  but  a  flimsy 
dream.  Was  there  ever  a  falser  thought  as  represented  by  the 
case  of  the  noble  man  he  smote?  That  life  is  gloriously  signifi- 
cant to  his  family,  to  his  friends,  to  his  Christian  brethren,  and 
to  the  nation  over  whom  he  presides.  We  all  feel  as  if  we 
must  bear  up  before  God  an  earnest  prayer  that  he  may  be 
spared.  He  has  borne  relations  to  us  that  make  his  life 
unspeakably  precious  in  our  sight.  Scarcely  one  of  the  brethren 
who  have  met  him  here  for  years  past  that  does  not  feel  towards 
him  as  a  personal  friend,  and  I  know  that  the  sentiment  of  the 
brethren  all  over  the  country,  in  one  united  voice,  goes  up  to 
God  in  his  behalf  this  hour." 

The  reverend  gentleman  then  delivered  an  earnest  prayer  that 
the  life  of  the  President  might  be  spared,  and  for  strength  to 
be  given  his  wife,  mother,  and  children.  He  was  followed  by 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Harbison  and  several  of  the  deacons  in  a  similar 
strain.  The  entire  congregation  then  knelt  and  prayed  together. 
The  scene  was  very  affecting,  sobs  being  audible  all  over  the 
church.  Mr.  Harbison  then  arose  and  said : "  I  am  free  to  say,  dear 
brethren,  that  I  have  never  been  at  a  meeting  where  I  have  felt 
so  deeply,  we  have  been  so  long  in  the  enjoyment  of  Christian 
fellowship  with  President  Garfield."  After  relating  several 
anecdotes  of  the  President's  deep  religious  feeling,  the  speaker 
continued : 

"  I  have  found  nobody  in  Washington  who  did  not  say  we 
esteem,  admire,  and  love  the  man.  A  gentleman  high  in  posi- 
tion said  to  me  yesterday,  'I  believe  him  to  be  as  true  and 
pure  a  man  as  ever  lived.'  I  was  much  struck  with  the  reported 
remark  of  Secretary  Blaine,  immediately  after  the  shooting : 
*  I  can't  see  why  any  man  would  kill  President  Garfield.  He 
would  injure  no  one.'  There  wasn't  a  trace  of  malice  in  his 


226  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

composition,  and  to-night,  when  we  have  come  to  bear  him  up 
before  the  throne  of  grace,  the  solemnity  deepens  as  I  think  of 
the  possibility  that  his  terrible  wound  may  become  fatal.  I  don't 
like  to  think  about  it,  because  the  people,  the  nation,  the  world 
needs  him.  We  can  ill  spare  a  man  of  his  sort.  .  .  .  When, 
yesterday  afternoon,  I  saw  his  wife  come  up  those  stairs  and 
enter  the  room  which  contained  nearly  all  that  was  precious  to  her 
in  life,  I  asked  myself,  '  Is  it  possible  that  this  woman's  heart 
will  not  break  ? '  All  others  were  excluded  from  the  room  where 
he  lay,  while  she  entered  and  quietly  imprinted  the  kiss  of  love 
upon  his  lips  and  exchanged  loving  words  with  him.  As  I  sat 
there,  fearing  the  result,  she  emerged,  her  eyes  suffused  with 
tears,  and  was  soon  engaged  in  her  work  of  love  and  affection. 
Whether  our  beloved  President  lives  or  dies  I  believe  that  God 
has  great  ends  to  serve  in  the  disposal  of  his  servant.  Shortly 
after  receiving  the  nomination  to  the  Presidency,  Gen.  Garfield 
said  to  me  :  '  I  don't  know  how  this  has  come  about;  but  one 
thing  is  certain,  if  I  am  defeated  I  will  not  be  so  greatly  disap- 
pointed as  some  of  my  friends  will  be.  If  I  am  elected,  I  will 
believe  there  is  some  purpose  in  it.  I  will  wait  and  see.'  Dur- 
ing that  campaign  I  was  so  deeply  impressed  with  the  notion 
that  assassination  lay  before  him  that  I  sat  down  in  my  study  one 
day  and  actually  half  wrote  a  letter  of  warning  to  him ;  but  then 
I  reflected,  '  What  am  I  doing  ?  What  reason  can  I  give  ?  He 
will  think  it  a  mere  whim ' — and  I  tore  the  letter  up.  I  don't 
know  to-day  why  I  acted  thus,  but  I  had  the  presentiment  and 
I  could  not  shake  it  off.  Even  should  he  die  I  believe  that  God, 
who  has  guided  us  so  long,  will  still  do  so.  As  Gen.  Garfield 
himself  said  when  Lincoln  fell,  '  Lincoln  is  dead,  but  the  nation 
lives.'  Let  us  as  Christians  realize  that  everything  is  in  the 
hands  of  God,  and  pray  for  the  President  and  his  family.  If  the 
dark  pall  does  at  last  settle  over  us  and  the  flags  are  placed  at 
half-mast,  and  evidences  of  mourning  are  seen  all  over  the  land, 
let  us  be  ready  to  say,  '  Not  my  will,  but  thine,  O  Lord,  be 
done.' " 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Power  also  addressed  the  assemblage.  He  said, 
among  other  things : 

"In  a  letter  which  President  Garfield  wrote  to  me  after 
receiving  the  nomination,  he  used  these  words,  indicative  of  the 
guiding  spirit  of  his  life,  '  I  know  not  how  it  may  turn  out, 
but  I  have  always  tried  to  meet  the  duty  of  every  day  as  it 


PRESIDENT  OARFIELD.  227 

came.  I  left  the  rest  to  God.'  He  and  his  wife  both  seemed 
to  look  forward  to  peculiar  trials  when  he  should  assume  his 
present  position.  After  the  nomination  Mrs.  Garfield  said  to 
me,  '  I  do  not  know  what  responsibilities  will  come  on  us,  but 
I  feel  that  God  will  prepare  us  to  meet  them.' " 

It  was  after  nine  o'clock  when  the  gathering  reluctantly 
broke  up. 

DR.    STORRS'S    DISCOURSE. 

A  Prayer  for  the  President's  recovery — Eulogy  of  Gen.  Gar  field. 

The  morning  service  in  the  Rev.  Dr.  Storrs's  Church,  in  Brook- 
lyn, was  conducted  with  special  reference  to  the  critical  condi- 
tion of  the  President.  Before  beginning  the  devotional  exer- 
cises, Dr.  Storrs  read  a  despatch  he  had  just  received  from 
Washington,  dated  10  A.M.,  saying  that  the  President's  state 
became  more  hopeful  every  hour ;  and  that  Sir  Edward  Thorn- 
ton had  just  telegraphed  the  Queen,  that  there  was  great  hope 
of  ultimate  recovery.  Dr.  Storrs  then  read  a  part  of  the  13th 
chapter  of  Hebrews :  "  Remember  them  which  have  the  rule  over 
you,  who  have  spoken  unto  you  the  word  of  God ;  whose  faith 
follow,  considering  the  end  of  their  conversation."  In  the 
prayer  that  followed,  he  prayed  for  all  who  are  in  danger. 
"Remember,"  he  asked,  "in  infinite  compassion  and  love,  the 
President  of  the  United  States.  Thou  knowest  how  precious  is 
his  life  in  the  sight  of  all  this  people.  Restore  him ;  give  him 
entire  recovery  if  it  please  Thee.  Make  him  only  more  sensible 
of  his  obligations  to  Thee.  Restore  him  that  he  may  serve  Thee. 
We  thank  Thee  that  our  worst  fears,  thus  far,  have  not  been 
realized.  Bring  him  up,  and  grant  that  his  life  may  be  illustri- 
ous, in  holiness  and  usefulness,  for  many  years  to  come."  The 
subject  of  the  sermon  was  "  The  Insecurity  of  Human  Life." 
"  When  yesterday  there  came  tidings,"  the  speaker  said,  "  that 
the  President  of  the  United  States  had  been  struck  by  the  bullet 
of  an  intending  assassin,  we  were  all  startled  and  grieved.  He 
was  hurled,  instantly,  into  the  very  shadow  of  death.  All  the 
circumstances  surrounding  the  shooting  were  as  sadly  tragical  as 
could  have  been  conceived  by  any  imagination.  Pushed  up  by 
his  own  exertions  from  the  lowest  grades  of  life  to  posts  of  honor, 
he  has  reached  the  highest  position  in  the  gift  of  the  people. 
What  he  has  done  so  far  has  commended  itself  to  the  majority 


228  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

of  the  people.  His  term  of  office,  "brief  as  it  has  been,  has  been 
marked  by  integrity,  honor,  progress  and  prosperity.  He  was 
going  to  meet  the  wife  who  has  also  been  in  the  shadow  of 
death.  He  was  going,  too,  to  meet  his  college  friends,  and  assist 
in  their  anniversary  exercises.  In  the  midst  of  a  circle  of  friends, 
and  apparently  in  the  utmost  security,  he  fell  by  the  shot  of  an 
assassin.  It  seems  the  very  irony  of  fate  for  the  greatest  life  on 
the  continent  to  fall  at  such  a  moment  and  by  such  a  hand,  after 
he  had  gone  safely  through  the  shot  and  shell  of  battle.  It  is 
not  merely  the  individual  life  that  is  threatened.  His  death  im- 
plies changes  in  the  policy  and  all  the  officers  of  the  Government. 
We  cannot  tell  what.  It  is  a  sarcasm  on  the  wisdom  that  framed 
our  Government  that  one  insane  hand  should  have  the  opportu- 
nity to  give  such  new  direction  for  years  to  come  to  the  policy 
of  the  Administration.  All  the  world  is  watching  that  point  at 
Washington.  The  whole  continent  pauses  in  its  work  and  in 
its  pleasure,  and  it  gives  us  an  example,  too,  of  our  wonderful 
advance.  Fifty  years  ago  such  an  event  would  hardly  have  been 
known  through  the  country  for  weeks  and  weeks.  Now  it  is  the 
talk  of  the  world.  When  William  of  Orange  was  assassinated, 
almost  exactly  300  years  ago,  on  the  10th  of  July,  1584,  it  seemed 
as  if  everything  must  go  down.  The  principles  of  liberty  were 
not  destroyed  even  when  Henry  of  Navarre  was  killed,  26  years 
later,  in  the  streets  of  Paris.  When  Lincoln  died  at  the  hands 
of  an  assassin,  16  years  ago,  the  whole  nation  turned  sick  at 
heart.  But  that  death  did  not  interrupt  the  principles  of  liberty, 
on  account  of  which  Lincoln  died.  "Isn't  this  Government 
going  to  be  Mexicanized  ?"  I  have  frequently  heard  asked  within 
the  last  24  hours.  Never  while  we  trust  in  God.  The  sea  and 
land  will  change  places  sooner,  while  our  principles  remain,  than 
our  Government  can  be  revolutionized.  Two  utterances  from 
the  President  since  his  injury  have  touched  me  very  much.  One 
was  concerning  that  brave  little  woman,  his  wife.  The  other  was 
when  he  said  to  the  doctors,  '  Do  not  be  afraid  to  tell  me  the 
worst ;  you  know  I  am  not  afraid  to  die.' "  At  the  conclusion  of 
the  sermon,  Dr.  Storrs  read  another  despatch  from  Washington 
announcing  that  the  President  was  still  improving. 

THE  REV.  R.  8.  MACARTHUR. 

An  earnest  and  sympathetic  discourse  on  the  attempted  assas- 
sination of  President  Garfield  was  preached  yesterday  by  the 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  229 

Rev.  R.  S.  MacArthur,  pastor  of  the  Calvary  Baptist  Church, 
New  York.  In  his  prayer,  Dr.  MacArthur  impressively  invoked 
the  divine  blessing  upon  this  smitten,  stricken,  and  sorrowing 
nation.  "  We  pray  this  morning,"  he  said,  "  as  we  have  never 
prayed  before  for  the  President  of  these  United  States.  May 
his  noble  life  be  spared,  and  may  the  designs  of  the  wicked 
assassin  be  frustrated.  May  the  attending  doctors  be  given  wis- 
dom in  their  examinations  and  prescriptions,  so  that  the  life  of 
the  President  will  be  saved."  The  text  of  the  discourse  was 
chosen  from  the  nineteenth  verse  of  the  first  chapter  of  Second 
Samuel — "  How  are  the  mighty  fallen !"  Such  was  the  lan- 
guage used  by  David,  said  the  preacher,  in  his  tender  and  touch- 
ing lament  over  the  death  of  Saul.  Each  word  seems  heavy 
with  a  sigh  and  broken  with  a  sob,  and  although  the  lapse  of 
ages  has  intervened  since  their  utterance,  many  persons  will  con- 
template that  stirring  exclamation  with  peculiar  significance  at 
this  time.  A  nearer  sorrow  prevails  throughout  this  broad  land. 
In  thousands  of  families  hearts  are  bleeding  and  tears  are  fall- 
ing, and  from  thousands  of  hearthstones  prayers  are  going  up 
for  this  stricken  and  afflicted  country.  Only  a  few  months  ago 
James  A.  Garfield  was  inaugurated  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  no  Administration  ever  opened  more  auspiciously. 
The  country  was  at  peace  and  prosperity  prevailed  everywhere. 
His  friends  were  legion  and  his  enemies  few,  although  some  of 
the  latter  were  shamefully  bitter.  General  Garfield  enjoyed  the 
reputation  of  being  a  brave  and  honorable  gentleman,  a  scholar 
and  a  statesman,  and  the  entire  country  looked  upon  his  open- 
ing Administration  with  confidence  and  favor.  When  the 
President's  noble  wife  was  stricken  down  by  serious  illness  the 
great  heart  of  the  nation  throbbed  with  sincere  sympathy  for 
the  anxious  family,  and  it  was  with  the  deepest  regret,  too,  that 
the  people  watched  the  clouds  of  political  trouble  that  hung 
threateningly  over  the  President's  head.  But  recently  all  these 
troubles  seemed  to  be  passing  away.  Domestic  and  political 
affairs  were  assuming  a  more  cheerful  aspect,  and  plans  were 
being  made  by  the  President  and  his  family  for  a  peaceful  and 
happy  summer.  The  speaker  said  that  since  he  had  known  any- 
thing of  American  politics,  he  had  watched  with  interest  the 
career  of  General  Garfield.  The  latter  was  a  man  of  pure  and 
unsullied  character,  and  had  been  singularly  fortunate  in  his 
political  life.  Little  did  President  Garfield  imagine  on  Satur- 


230  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

day  morning  that  before  night  he  would  be  lying  on  his  bed 
mortally  wounded,  his  soul  hovering  on  the  borders  of  the 
other  world.  The  suddenness  of  Saturday's  tragedy  reveals  in 
its  most  comprehensive  form  both  the  duty  and  beauty  of  sym- 
pathy. No  more  kindly  feelings  have  ever  been  expressed 
by  the  American  people  than  those  which  have  been  freely 
manifested  towards  the  Garfield  family.  And  there  is  good  rea- 
son for  this  condition  of  public  feeling.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Garfield 
are  of  the  people,  self-educated  and  self-made.  Not  only  was 
General  Garfield  honored  for  his  great  intellectual  attainments 
and  broad  statesmanship,  but  Mrs.  Garfield  also  commanded  uni- 
versal admiration  for  her  noble,  womanly  traits  and  her  superior 
mental  abilities.  It  is  something  for  the  American  people  to  be 
proud  of  that  their  President's  wife  should  be  able  to  converse 
with  many  of  the  representatives  of  foreign  countries  in  their 
native  language.  One  of  the  most  significant  thoughts  sug- 
gested by  this  attempted  murder  of  the  President  is,  said  the 
speaker,  the  great  importance  that  attaches  to  the  selection  of  a 
Vice-President.  How  remote  has  been  the  expectation  that 
General  Arthur  would  ever  become  President  of  the  United 
States.  During  the  last  few  months  many  persons  have  felt 
very  much  dissatisfied  with  the  conduct  of  our  Vice-President. 
Those  who  remembered  his  honored  father  have  frequently 
had  occasion  to  wish  that  the  son  possessed  some  of  that  ster- 
ling sense  of  dignity  and  honor  that  characterized  the  senior 
Arthur.  But  Chester  A.  Arthur  was  elected  Vice-President  to 
do  the  bidding  of  one  man,  and  most  faithfully  has  he  dis- 
charged that  obligation.  A  great  many  Republicans  voted  for 
him  under  a  silent  protest,  but  now  should  he  be  called  to  the 
Presidential  chair  we  must  hope  for  the  best.  He  will  then 
have  a  great  opportunity  to  set  himself  right  with  the  people, 
and  to  win  their  confidence  and  respect.  Should  circumstances 
elevate  him  to  the  foremost  position  in  the  country,  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  he  will  lay  aside  all  factional  feeling,  forget  all  per- 
sonal prejudices  and  obligations  and  be  the  true  representative 
of  the  whole  people.  How  little  did  the  shrewdest  politicians 
in  Washington  and  Albany  imagine  that  such  a  radical  change 
in  the  political  affairs  of  the  nation  could  occur  as  that  which 
now  threatens  us.  In  the  act  of  the  cowardly  assassin  there 
appears  still  another  lesson.  The  man  whose  wicked  deed  has 
plunged  a  loving  family  and  a  great  nation  into  the  deepest 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  231 

grief  was  once  a  respected  and  trusted  member  of  society.  He 
stood  up  in  church  and  made  a  public  avowal  of  his  belief  and 
faith  in  God.  But  afterwards  yielding  to  the  baser  elements  of 
his  nature,  he  began  that  downward  path  which  has  brought 
him  to  the  murderer's  cell.  His  small  vices  begat  larger  ones, 
and  finally  he  sank  into  that  state  of  utter  moral  demoralization 
which  led  him  to  raise  his  assassin's  hand  against  the  first  citi- 
zen of  his  country.  From  the  shocking  experience  of  this 
wretch  may  be  drawn  the  warning :  Beware  of  the  beginning 
of  evil.  May  God  save  our  young  men  from  sin,  for  it  is 
obvious  now  to  every  mind  how  the  criminal  act  of  one  man  can 
plunge  a  nation  into  despair.  In  all  of  this  tribulation,  however, 
none  should  forget  the  power  and  wisdom  of  the  Almighty. 
God  rules  supreme,  and  if  His  ways  at  times  seem  harsh  and 
inscrutable,  they  are,  nevertheless,  fraught  with  some  purpose 
of  His  own  which  is  destined  for  our  good.  As  Abraham  Lin- 
coln lives  to-day  in  the  hearts  of  an  affectionate  people,  so  will 
James  Abram  Garfield  live,  even  though  he  may  die.  In  con- 
clusion, Dr.  MacArthur  impressively  remarked :  "  We  lift  our 
hearts  to  God  to-day,  praying  that  he  may  stay  the  hand  of 
wickedness  and  murder  in  this  great  and  prosperous  land." 


REMARKS    OF   DR.  BELLOWS. 

A  timely,  patriotic,  and  eloquent  sermon  was  delivered  yes- 
terday morning  by  the  Rev.  W.  H.  Bellows,  D.D.,  in  the  Church 
of  All  Souls,  New  York.  It  was  devoted  mainly  to  a  review  of 
our  political  system  as  organized,  operated,  and  controlled  by 
the  "  machine."  At  the  conclusion  of  his  remarks  upon  this 
topic,  in  which  he  condemned  the  course  of  the  present  machine 
managers  as  exhibited  at  Albany,  Dr.  Bellows  referred  to  the 
calamity  which  has  just  fallen  upon  the  country.  "  The  report 
that  reached  us,"  he  said,  "  seemed  too  terrible  to  be  credible. 
So  blameless,  so  free  from  personal  enemies,  so  growing  upon 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  people  had  our  President 
been,  and  so  calm  and  tranquil  was  the  country  under  his  be- 
nign administration;  so  little  sectional  animosity  was  left  in  the 
land  and  so  little  divided  were  the  people  upon  the  main  policy 
of  the  Government,  that  never  did  a  calamity  of  this  frightful 
magnitude  burst  out  of  a  clearer  sky !  It  was  as  if  the  beautiful 
comet  in  our  northern  horizon  had  suddenly  swooped  down 


232  TEE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

upon  the  peaceful  observers  of  its  course,  or  the  millions  that 
looked  wonderingly  upon  its  meteoric  splendors,  and  dashed  the 
earth  out  of  its  orbit  and  heaped  the  cosmos  in  ruins.  God 
knows  what  hopes  are  centred  in  the  life  and  energy,  the 
statesmanship  and  patriotism  of  our  President,  the  first  for 
many  terras  who  possessed  the  claims  of  a  trained  and  experi- 
enced legislator,  upon  the  exalted  office  he  filled.  It  seemed 
almost  a  happy  accident  when  party  tactics  put  the  right 
man  in  the  right  place,  and  made  a  candidate  as  fit  for 
the  office  as  any  in  the  country  the  nominee  of  a  tri- 
umphant party  and  at  last  the  President  of  the  nation  !  And 
now,  in  a  moment,  and  by  the  brutal  shot  of  :«,  disappointed 
office-seeker,  our  President  lies  half  dead  and  in  danger  of 
mortal  dissolution,  while  the  national  heart  on  the  eve  of  its 
greatest  festival  is  shocked  into  a  fearful  suspense,  and  waits 
with  alternate  hopes  and  fears  upon  the  hourly  bulletins  from 
the  bloody  chamber  where  his  stalwart  frame  and  manly  vigor 
of  constitution  struggle  uncertainly  with  the  angel  of  death. 
There  is  great  alleviation  of  our  sorrow  in  the  fact  that  thus 
far  no  evidence  appears  of  political  conspiracy  or  of  sectional 
or  party  backing  in  the  frantic  act  of  personal  caprice  and  way- 
ward madness  that  has  laid  low  our  yesterday  erect  and  vigor- 
ous chief  ruler.  If  he  dies,  he  dies  by  the  hand  of  one  of  his 
own  party  and  one  of  his  own  Western  fellow-citizens;  an 
obscure  person,  without  political  significance  or  following, 
wholly  unknown  in  social  or  public  life.  It  is  painfully  true 
that  this  madman  claims  some  party  reasons  for  his  conduct, 
and  excuses  himself  by  the  necessity  of  putting  out  of  the  way 
an  obstacle  to  the  full  power  of  one  of  the  factions  in  the  mis- 
erable, and  now  become  fatal,  quarrel  of  the  Republican  party. 
There  is  no  reason  for  thinking  he  had  any  prompting  or  sup- 
port from  those  who  may  benefit  by  the  not  improbable  vacancy 
to  be  created  in  the  Presidential  chair.  But  it  is  probable,  if 
not  certain,  that  the  animosity,  the  personal  abuse,  the  unseemly 
and  exaggerated  tone  and  character  of  the  quarrel  in  the  party, 
aggravated  by  virulence  of  the  press,  has  suggested  the  dreadful 
act  of  violence  that  now  appalls  those  who  fomented  it.  It  was 
less  inexcusable  that  sectional  bitterness  and  hate  should  have 
bred,  while  a  fearful  war  between  North  and  South  was  still 
going  on,  the  murderous  spirit  that  animated  the  assassination 
of  Abraham  Lincoln !  But  that  a  mere  quarrel  over  party  spoils 


PRESIDENT  QARFIELD.  233 

should  have  been  able  to  poison  the  brain  and  nerve  the  arm  of 
a  fanatic  to  slay,  not  a  personal  enemy,  not  his  injurer,  and  not 
a  direct  party  to  the  strife,  but  the  beloved  and.  honored  Presi- 
dent of  the  nation,  in  a  time  of  peace  and  prosperity,  when 
parties  have  hardly  issues  enough  left  open  to  keep  up  a  decent 
division,  is  one  of  the  saddest  of  warnings  whither  our  disgrace- 
ful squabbles  within  party  lines  may  lead.  Is  it  not  a  new  argu- 
ment for  putting  the  spoils  of  office  out  of  party  politics  when 
madness,  suicide,  and  murder  wait  upon  its  inspiration  ?  Let  us 
hope  that  the  country  will  come  to  its  senses,  and  the  party  in 
question  to  its  stool  of  repentance,  when  it  sees  what  conse- 
quences follow  on  the  orgies  and  accusations  and  malicious 
counter  cries  of  factions  in  Albany  and  elsewhere.  Alas  for  the 
day  when  a  second  President  of  the  United  States  welters  in  the 
blood  of  assassination !  What  unjust,  but  what  injurious,  im- 
pressions are  already  left  on  the  European  mind  by  this  repe- 
tition of  the  unnatural  crime  of  murdering,  not  a  tyrant,  an 
emperor,  a  king,  but  an  elective  President !  How  will  Russian 
absolutists  rejoice  to  see  the  horrors  of  Nihilistic  crimes  out- 
done by  the  children  of  a  free  State,  and  how  will  monarchs 
stiffen  and  condense  the  bayonets  that  guard  their  thrones  when 
even  the  mildest  and  justest  rulers  over  the  equal  citizens  of  the 
most  happy  and  prosperous  people  cannot  move  about  in  their 
capital  without  danger  to  life  from  assassins  ?  It  is  dreadful  to 
feel  what  perverse  uses  will  be  made  of  an  accident  of  frenzied 
brains  to  strengthen  hateful  tyrannies  and  to  insult  and  dispar- 
age true  and  just  principles.  Let  us  swear  a  solemn  oath  that 
the  caprices  and  follies  of  freemen  shall  not  weaken  our  faith  in 
liberty,  and  that  the  fatal  misfortunes  that  assail  our  rulers  shall 
not  be  allowed  to  recoil  on  the  principles  for  which  they  stand. 
It  would  be  the  last  counsel  of  our  noble  President  were  he, 
which  God  avert,  to  be  called  away  from  us  by  this  atrocious 
act  of  violence,  to  stand  faithfully  by  our  American  principles, 
to  defend  the  ship  of  State,  though  pilot  after  pilot  were  shot 
down,  and  to  honor  and  maintain  the  flag  and  the  freedom  of 
the  nation  against  all  assailants  and  all  losses — above  all  against 
the  malice  of  foreign  depreciators,  and,  worse  than  that,  against 
the  treachery  and  domestic  distrust  and  party  jealousy  and  the 
feebleness  of  doubts  of  God's  protection  for  free  institutions  or 
of  humanity's  fitness  to  receive  them. 


234  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


REV.   J.   P.    NEWMAN  S    STRONG    LANGUAGE. 

The  announcement  that  the  Rev.  Dr.  J.  P.  Newman  was  to 
preach  yesterday  morning  on  "  The  National  Calamity"  attracted 
an  unusually  large  congregation  to  the  Central  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  New  York.  The  text  was  from  Proverbs  xiv., 
24 — "  Sin  is  a  reproach  to  any  people."  Had  James  A.  Garfield, 
said  the  preacher,  been  a  Sultan  Abdul  Aziz,  or  an  Alexander 
II.,  spending  the  people's  wealth  in  riotous  living,  or  populating 
some  Siberia  with  the  flower  of  our  young  manhood,  his  assassina- 
tion would  have  found  some  apologists.  But,  gentle  as  a  woman, 
kind  as  a  father,  trustful  as  a  brother,  his  would  be  the  death  of 
kindness  itself.  General  Garfield  was  our  President,  and  to  you 
and  to  me  he  represents  the  virtue,  the  civilization,  the  Christian- 
ity, and  intelligence  of  the  Republic  ;  and  not  to  us  only,  but 
to  the  world  at  large.  His  politics  is  a  matter  of  no  concern 
to  us.  Administrating  the  laws  of  this  great  nation,  he  stood 
in  God's  place.  His  murder  is  not  merely  regicide ;  it  is  deicide. 
A  blow  has  been  aimed  at  the  very  throne  of  Jehovah  itself. 
Let  us  search  for  the  causes  that  have  produced  this  crime. 
Plainly  discernible  in  the  tragedy  is  the  thirst  for  office,  the 
malignity  of  partisan  strife,  the  inordinate  desire  for  wealth 
and  luxury,  the  unworthy  estimate  of  life  and  its  serious  respon- 
sibilities, and  the  contempt  for  religion.  In  politics,  slander 
has  become  the  chosen  weapon,  and  defamation  of  character 
the  argument  most  popular.  What  can  be  the  influence  of  this 
evil  ?  The  orations  of  our  leading  men — United  States  senators, 
Congressmen,  State  legislators,  all  politicians — teem  with  vil- 
lainous and  contemptible  onslaught  on  reputation,  which,  if 
uttered  in  private  life,  would  justly  exile  their  authors  forever 
from  decent  society.  Politics  has  become  but  the  school  for 
scandal. 

Another  cause  which  has  led  up  to  this  assassination  is  the 
universal  grasping  after  office.  With  all  our  national  brag  and 
bluster  we  have  no  civil  service.  Sixty  thousand  men  are  incited 
to  partisan  zeal  in  a  Presidential  election  by  the  hope  of  a  for- 
eign mission,  a  consulate,  or  a  clerkship.  Faithful  and  com- 
petent men  are  removed  to  give  place  to  some  favorite  or 
importunate  office-seeker.  Every  official  office  in  the  land  is 
on  sale.  The  disgraceful  scene  recently  enacted  at  Albany 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD  235 

results  not  from  a  question  of  fitness  for  positions  of  power  and 
trust,  but  from  that  other  question — who  shall  wield  the  patron- 
age of  a  great  State  ?  Men  compete  for  opportunities  to  lead 
lives  of  ease  and  luxury,  and  they  best  secure  their  desires 
through  politics.  Disappointed  or  opposed,  they  resort  to  des- 
perate methods.  This  political  crime  I  lay  at  the  door  of  no 
particular  faction.  Far  from  me  be  the  intent  of  pointing  to 
one  faction  as  the  embodiment  of  the  devil,  and  to  another  as 
the  personation  of  the  angel  Gabriel. 

Our  much-boasted  universal  suffrage,  our  power  and  our  shield, 
as  in  our  enthusiasm  we  are  wont  to  term  it,  is  not  without  its 
drawbacks,  not  without  its  dangers  to  our  nation.  I  believe  in 
popular  suffrage  to  the  full ;  but  in  the  name  of  intelligence  and 
virtue  and  common  honesty,  not  to  say  decency,  I  am  against 
the  system  that  places  unrestricted  power  in  the  hands  of  the 
paupers  and  criminals  whom  Europe  is  pouring  upon  our  shores 
by  tens  of  thousands.  [Applause,  which  the  preacher  found  it 
impossible  to  check.]  It  is  a  sad  fact,  but  a  notorious  one,  that 
the  ballot  has  become  an  article  of  merchandise.  In  our  last 
municipal  election  we  honestly  elected  William  Dowd  Mayor  of 
Xew  York ;  but  late  in  the  day  the  influence  of  money  was 
brought  to  bear,  and  the  will  of  the  intelligent  and  moral  voters 
was  annulled.  Of  Mr.  Grace  I  have  nothing  to  say  in  condem- 
nation. I  trust  his  administration  may  be  pure  and  successful ; 
he  has  my  heartiest  prayers ;  yet  as  he  was  elected,  so  are  men 
elected  in  every  State  and  at  every  election.  The  republics  of 
Rome  and  Greece  went  down  only  after  their  free  franchise  was 
corrupted ;  after  candidates  stalked  through  the  streets  offering 
bribes  to  supporters  and  paying  gold  for  votes.  The  causes 
which  worked  out  the  ruin  of  those  republics  is  working  out 
likewise  the  ruin  of  our  own.  Let  us  not  be  blinded  to  the 
truth  and  the  teachings  of  history. 

REV.  HENRY  WARD  BEECHER's  REMARKS. 

Mr.  Beecher's  countenance  showed  great  sadness  Sunday 
morning  when  he  entered  the  pulpit  of  Plymouth  Church, 
Brooklyn,  and  he  devoted  the  entire  service  to  the  tragedy  at 
Washington.  The  church  was  over-crowded,  and  many  persons 
turned  away  from  the  doors  unable  to  find  even  standing  room 
within.  The  services  consisted  of  appropriate  music,  special 


236  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

prayers  by  Mr.  Beecher  and  selections  of  Scripture,  with 
remarks  drawn  out  by  the  event  which  was  uppermost  in  every 
mind.  Mr.  Beecher  was  himself  affected  to  tears  at  times,  and 
handkerchief s  were  in  use  in  all  parts  of  the  audience.  The  Te 
Deura  was  sung  at  the  opening  of  the  service,  and  after  a  brief 
invocation  Mr.  Beecher  said: — 

We  are  met  under  circumstances  happily  most  unusual,  and 
it  is  one  of  the  felicities  of  the  service  of  our  church  that  we 
are  not  tied  down  to  any  routine,  but  are  free  to  follow  the 
leadings  of  Providence.  To-day,  even  if  I  could,  I  would  not 
stand  here  as  a  didactic  teacher,  nor,  in  the  common  acceptance 
of  the  word,  as  a  preacher.  Not  that  there  are  not  great  truths 
in  the  word  of  God  adapted  to  every  emergency,  but  now  and 
then  God  comes  himself,  and  all  men  behold  his  foot-prints 
and  hear  his  voice.  When  the  providence  of  God  speaks  as  it 
does  to-day  we  must  take  the  text  from  God  himself. 

Again  in  so  short  a  time  death  has  been  aimed  at  the  chief 
citizen  of  this  great  nation.  The  assassin's  hand  in  both 
instances,  let  us  believe,  was  a  hand  misguided  by  a  brain  more 
misguided — that  of  the  shadows  of  insanity  the  aim  has  twice 
been  taken,  once  fatally,  and  again,  let  us  hope,  in  the  Provi- 
dence of  God  without  final  and  fatal  result.  There  were  varied 
emotions  preceding  the  election,  but  only  one  voice  when  it 
was  determined.  When  President  Garfield  was  called  to  the 
head  of  the  Government,  he  was  no  longer  a  candidate,  but  our 
President,  to  every  citizen  of  the  United  States.  Every  indi- 
vidual had  a  right  to  glory  in  his  ripe  usefulness,  accumulated 
wisdom,  honest  intent,  genial  and  generous  disposition  and  his 
sanctified  ambition,  which  sought  to  make,  has  made  and  will 
make  him  a  Christian  President  over  a  free  Christian  people. 
When  the  sun  rose  yesterday  there  was  no  shadow  across  the 
pathway,  full  of  hope  and  promise.  When  it  rose  to-day  the 
people  were  in  sorrow  from  ocean  to  ocean,  and,  indeed,  deep 
called  to  deep.  And  now  to-day,  on  this  Sabbath  morning,  and 
because  it  is  a  Sabbath  morning,  and  on  this  our  communion 
service,  and  because  it  is  our  communion  service,  our  thoughts 
are  called  from  usual  themes  of  discourse  and  dwell  upon  this 
calamity.  May  a  great  blessing  come  out  of  it,  let  us  pray. 

Now  that  the  heart  of  the  nation  is  cool,  all  men  have  a 
generous  and  just  appreciation  of  the  value  to  the  nation  of  the 
man  who  lies  on  the  bed  of  suffering  and  peril.  I  am  not  sur- 


PRESIDENT  GABFIELD.  237 

prised  at  this.  When  the  sound  echoed  over  our  whole  land  of 
his  peril,  there  was  no  party,  no  advocate  or  adversaries ;  we 
were  all  citizens  and  not  politicians.  We  are  all'  on  one  side. 
If  some  unmannerly  tongue  has  given  utterance  to  rude  and 
coarse  remarks,  we  must  think  that  it  is  the  hasty  utterance  of 
ignorance  and  not  the  deliberate  of  a  sane  mind.  Men  shook 
hands  with  the  pressure  of  grief  at  the  sad  news,  and  eyes  were 
dim.  All  men  had  the  same  sentiment.  All  heads  were  bowed 
as  if  in  the  very  presence  of  the  God  who  dwells  in  darkness 
and  were  awed  by  his  power.  It  is  related  by  naturalists  that 
in  countries  where  freshets  and  floods  prevail,  when  animals  are 
driven  by  the  water  to  take  refuge  together  in  the  high  ground 
and  are  hearded  by  a  common  terror,  they  forget  their  animos- 
ities and  evil  designs  and  dwell  in  peace.  The  rabbit  and  the 
fox,  the  lamb  and  the  wolf,  the  bear  and  the  deer  and  the  ser- 
pent in  common  peril  dwell  quietly  together  and  forget  opposi- 
tion. Many  not  wont  to  pray  silently  petitioned  God  to  spare 
the  life  of  the  honored  and  beloved  President. 

Mr.  Beecher  then  read  the  39th  and  41st  Psalms.  He 
read  with  especial  feeling  this  verse :  "  The  Lord  will  strengthen 
him  upon  the  bed  of  languishing  ;  Thou  wilt  make  all  his  bed 
in  his  sickness." 

After  the  reading  Mr.  Beecher  said :  "  Let  us  join  the  millions 
who  are  making  the  space  between  heaven  and  earth  thick 
with  prayers,  besieging  the  throne  of  God,  that  he  will  have 
compassion  on  the  nation  and  spare  the  life  of  the  President." 
He  then  prayed  as  follows :  O  Lord,  who  hast  been  good  to  this 
nation  in  days  gone  by;  who  hast  sent  wars,  famines  and  pes- 
tilences, and  withal  a  growing  benefit ;  who  hast  rebuked  our 
transgression  and  washed  it  away  with  blood ;  who  made 
the  sun  to  rise  after  the  night  and  darkness  of  war ;  who 
then  smote  the  shepherd  in  the  fold,  but  did  not  suffer  the 
nation  to  be  destroyed,  but  restored  tranquillity  in  all  its  bounds, 
and  again  in  thy  mysterious  way  hast  stretched  out  thy  hand 
to  touch  thy  beloved,  and  suffered  him  to  be  struck  down,  and 
filled  the  house  of  light  and  joy  with  darkness  and  trouble — 0 
Lord,  wilt  thou  not  stay  thy  hand?  Do  thou  hold  in  wisdom 
and  knowledge  those  who  minister  to  the  President.  Endue 
them  with  divine  knowledge.  Sustain  his  strength.  Many  have 
been  shattered  on  the  battle-field  and  given  over  for  dead,  and 
yet  now  live.  Enable  him  to  endure  tjh.e  ordeal^  Even  if 


238  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

through  months  of  suffering,  bring  him  to  light.  Through  a 
long  recovery  may  thy  servant  be  restored  to  us.  Show  the 
light  of  thy  countenance  to  him.  Thou  hast  eased  him  of  care, 
and  shut  him  up  in  thy  pavilion.  May  no  outward  obligation 
trouble  him ;  may  his  heart  rest  in  thee.  May  hope  in  Christ 
come  as  the  light  of  the  morning  to  him,  and  may  he  be  stayed 
in  God  in  perfect  tranquillity.  0  Lord  God!  is  thy  heart 
hardened  ?  Is  thine  ear  heavy,  or  thy  hand  shortened  ?  Thou 
couldst  bring  Christ  from  the  dead — canst  thou  not  restore 
health  on  the  border  of  the  grave  ?  Death  is  not  mightier  than 
thou !  Thou  who  seest  the  heart,  knowest  how  the  poor  and 
needy  hope  in  him,  and  how  the  whole  people  unite  in  beseech- 
ing that  the  President  may  not  pass  from  us.  May  the  Holy 
Ghost  fill  the  house  with  light  and  comfort  and  the  balm  of 
consolation.  Hear  thy  servants  at  thine  altars !  Strangers  are 
pleading ;  not  strangers  in  a  common  grief.  Be  thou  generous, 
thou  who  art  mighty  in  mercy ;  bring  hope  before  the  sun  goes 
down.  Send  from  the  house  of  desire,  not  only  the  word  that 
he  is  better,  but  the  hope  and  joy  of  restoration.  And  what 
shall  we  promise  thee,  or  what  can  we  give  thee  ?  Thou  givest 
all  to  us ;  we  can  give  nothing  to  thee  but  our  gratitude.  We 
will  live  better  and  seek  to  please  thee.  Regard  the  desire  of 
millions.  0  Lord,  God  of  thy  servants  in  ancient  days,  in  wrath 
remember  mercy ;  restore  our  sick  and  establish  him  in  health, 
and  to  thy  adorable  name  will  be  praise  forever  more. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  prayer  the  choir  sang  "  Beyond  the 
smiling  and  the  weeping  I  shall  be  soon,"  and  Mr.  Beecher  said : 

The  first  effect  of  such  an  astounding  event  as  this  is  apt  to 
be  confusion  and  fear.  As  in  an  earthquake  men  lose  their 
trust  in  the  solidity  and  safety  of  those  things  in  which  their 
life  is  built;  so  when  God  rends  the  heavens  and  a  blow  is 
struck  at  the  centre  of  our  affections,  we  ask,  What  can  happen 
next  ?  What  will  the  end  be  ?  Fortunately  for  us,  in  all  this 
we  need  not  look  for  an  unfavorable  issue  in  the  providence  of 
God.  There  is  nothing  to  fear  except  the  evils  incident  to  pros- 
perous times.  Such  is  the  nature  of  free,  intelligent  govern- 
ment by  an  educated  common  people,  that  the  strength  of  the 
government  is  not  in  itself  at  all.  No  official  taken  away  shakes 
the  fabric.  There  have  been  times  when  the  ends  of  the  earth 
seemed  to  rest  on  single  men.  Such  was  Moses  to  Israel,  Wash- 
ington to  us?  Cromwell  to  England,  Cavour  to  Italy,  Bismarck 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  239 

to  Germany,  Thiers  and  Gambetta  to  France.  Were  they  taken, 
it  would  seem  as  if  the  buttresses  were  gone  and  the  bridge 
must  go  too.  These  are  extreme  cases.  In  our  history,  when, 
the  war  not  done,  our  proudest  leader,  our  distinguished  and 
noble  head,  now  our  revered  martyr — Lincoln — was  taken,  it 
seemed  as  if  all  was  at  an  end.  But  nothing  suffered.  We 
have  not  planted  power  in  any  department  of  government.  The 
power  is  in  the  people  themselves,  and  they  lend  it.  If  the  hand 
using  the  power  falls,  the  power  is  left.  The  nation  stands  four 
square,  as  the  pyramids  stand,  but  not  desolate,  and  not  on  the 
bare  sand.  But  around  it  are  as  many  men  as  grains  of  sand 
around  the  Egyptian  pyramids.  Taking  the  head  would  not 
change  one  great  interest.  There  would  be  no  less  ships  to  sail 
or  building  in  the  stocks;  warehouses  would  be  no  fewer; 
wheels  in  factories  would  be  no  less ;  the  hand  would  work  at 
the  anvil  the  same ;  and  the  plough  would  scour  in  the  soil. 
Business  would  flow  on  with  no  check ;  no  school,  academy,  or 
college  would  be  put  out ;  no  church  would  be  closed.  The 
nation  is  broad,  various,  strong,  and  immovable.  Until  it  rots 
at  the  sills  by  its  own  infidelity  and  corruption  it  will  stand  as 
unmoved  as  the  mountains.  We  are  spared  anxiety  from  na- 
tional peril.  Other  hands  would  take  the  reins  of  government 
if  death  should  relax  the  hands  now  holding.  Every  depart- 
ment would  go  on  the  same,  and  all  interests  would  be 
advanced. 

But  there  are  lessons  for  the  nation  in  this.  If  we  review  the 
days  of  passion  and  partisan  conflict  as  we  now  stand  by  the  side 
of  the  sufferer,  we  may  learn  much.  We  are  likely,  in  the  heat 
of  politics,  to  destroy  all  reverence  for  the  Chief  Magistrate.  No 
man  seeks  position  without  losing  reputation,  and  he  is  fortunate 
if  character  is  not  lost  also.  In  this  moment  of  sorrow  we  may 
see  the  evil  of  exaggeration  and  the  injury  and  wrong  of  excess. 
Our  father's  God  is  ours.  On  such  an  occasion  it  seems  proper 
to  recognize  God's  great  mercy.  Our  feelings  are  different  than 
at  the  time  of  Lincoln's  assassination.  Then  we  were  in  the 
dark  and  troubled  period  of  the  war.  A  storm  was  in  the  sky 
and  a  tremor  in  the  earth.  There  was  just  occasion  for  appre- 
;  tension  and  fear.  But  it  passed;  our  grief  did  not,  but  our  fear 
did.  There  is  no  fear  to-day.  Twice  in  so  few  years  has  God 
plucked  down  the  head  of  the  Government  in  widely  different 
conditions.  Then,  in  the  war  time,  the  sky  was  overclouded; 


240  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 

now  there  is  no  scud  of  cloud  in  the  sky.  The  nation  is  secure 
and  happy  in  content  and  peace.  This  is  the  echo  of  the  stroke 
which  took  the  crowned  head  in  Russia.  In  that  anomalous 
people,  spread  abroad,  of  mixed  races,  in  an  inchoate  condition, 
the  stroke  of  death  was  precipitated  on  the  Czar.  It  was  a  spurt 
of  lightning  out  of  the  Russian  storm-cloud,  ever  liable  to  send 
forth  the  lances  of  death.  But  here  we  were  shut  in  from 
violence,  with  no  stroke  within  or  storm  without.  It  was  a 
wandering  and  wanton  shot  that  struck.  It  came  from  no 
palace,  no  army,  no  subterranean  depths,  but  from  a  lunatic 
asylum  came  that  arrow  of  death.  In  our  affliction  let  our  pray- 
ers ascend  to  the  God  of  our  fathers  not  to  forget  us. 

The  80th  Psalm,  a  supplication  for  mercy,  was  then  read  by 
Mr.  Beecher,  and  he  again  prayed.  He  prayed  that  this  nation, 
which  had  been  lifted  up  by  God  and  set  down  in  wrath,  might 
have  this  event  overruled  to  its  good.  He  prayed  for  all  the 
people  in  this  out-spread  land,  where  all  nations  are  gathered — 
for  the  Chinaman,  the  Japanese,  the  Indian  and  the  Russian  who 
came  to  these  shores ;  for  all  who  came  from  Europe's  fertile 
plains  and  rugged  mountains — that  they  might  agree  in  this 
land  and  this  nation  might  be  saved  from  intestine  feuds. 

After  a  hymn  had  been  sung  by  the  congregation,  Mr. 
Beecher  again  rose  and  said.  It  is  not  fitting  that  we  should  go 
hence  before  we  remember  the  stricken  family  of  President 
Garfield  in  their  exquisite  suffering.  In  England  noble  women 
are  educated  for  public  affairs,  and  when  put  in  places  of  honor 
they  demean  themselves  with  peculiar  propriety.  We  are  a 
democratic-republican  people,  and  our  women  are  educated  par- 
ticularly for  domesticity  and  seclusion.  It  is  a  matter  for  con- 
gratulation when  the  President  of  the  nation  has  reached  his 
high  position  that  he  has  a  wife  and  household  who  know  how 
to  become  their  elevated  station  as  if  born  heirs  to  titles  and 
courts.  If  we  look  at  the  wives  of  the  Presidents  we  see  almost 
not  a  single  cloud  in  the  long  succession.  The  succession  is  not 
changed.  When  that  model  in  the  family  relation,  Mrs.  Hayes, 
left  the  White  House  it  seemed  as  though  an  equal  to  her  dis- 
tinguished worth,  as  mother,  wife  and  woman  that  had  rejoiced 
the  hearts  of  the  people  not  could  be  found.  But  Mrs.  Garfield, 
while  differing  much,  is  worthy  to  succeed  her  and  need  not  fear 
to  compare  with  any  of  her  predecessors.  She  has  just  come  up 
from  the  borders  of  death  only  to  meet  her  husband  in  peril. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  241 

Then  there  is  the  venerable  mother,  who  should  have  long  pre- 
ceded her  son,  who  now  seems  likely  to  come  after  him.  To-day 
if  there  is  any  woman  here  with  a  heart  to  pray  for  the  stricken 
family  and  who  remembers  the  sanctities  of  the  household,  let 
her  seek  God's  blessing  on  the  smitten  family. 

Mr.  Beecher  then  prayed  with  deep  and  earnest  feeling  for 
the  President's  mother  and  wife  and  his  children.  There  was 
scarcely  a  dry  eye  among  the  women  in  the  church  when  he  had 
ended,  and  tears  found  their  way  to  the  eyes  of  many  men.  In 
closing  the  petition  he  said  :  "  Wilt  Thou  sustain  the  wounded 
man !  And  if  the  way  of  darkness  shall  open  for  him — which 
must  open  some  time  for  all  feet  to  tread — wilt  God  be  gracious 
and  enable  him  to  say, '  I  fear  no  evil ;  Thy  rod  and  thy  staff, 
they  comfort  me.'  May  there  come  to  us  a  voice  of  triumph 
from  beyond.  Lord  God  of  our  fathers !  Our  God  !  Comfort 
the  family,  the  Government,  the  nation  and  the  country,  and 
enable  all  to  say  earnestly,  no  matter  what  the  event  may  be^ 
'  Thy  will  be  done.'" 
11 


543  TEE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


THE  EIGHTY  DAYS'  STRUGGLE  FOR  LIFE. 


REVIEW  OF  THE  CONDITION  OF  THE  PATIENT  FROM  THE  DAY  HS 
WAS  SHOT  TO  THE  DAY  OF  HIS  DEATH HIS  RELAPSES — DE- 
SCRIPTION OF  THE  OPERATIONS THE  REMOVAL  TO  LONG 

BRANCH HIS  LAST  DAYS. 

President  Garfield  was  shot  by  Charles  J.  Guiteau  at  about 
twenty  minutes  past  9  on  the  morning  of  Saturday,  July  2,  in 
the  Baltimore  and  Potomac  Railway  station,  &  few  minutes- 
before  he  was  to  take  the  train  from  Washington  to  New  York,, 
on  his  way  for  a  trip  through  New  England.  The  rnmor  iin1- 
mediately  became  current  that  he  was  dead.  This  was  believed 
for  the  moment,  and  produced  the  wildest  excitement  every 
where.  It  was  soon  contradicted,  however. 

At  Washington  all  was  confusion  and  alarm.  The  woundedf 
man  was  taken  to  a  room  in  the  station,  where  he  vomited. 
Drs.  Bliss,  Keyburn,  and  several  other  physicians  were  hastily 
summoned,  and  a  preliminary  examination  of  the  wound  was 
made.  It  was  found  that  the  ball,  which  was  of  44  calibre, 
fired  from  a  pistol  of  the  British  "  bull-dog"  pattern,  had  pene- 
trated the  back  about  four  inches  to  the  right  of  the  spinal 
column,  and  subsequently  it  was  learned  that  it  had  fractnred 
the  eleventh  rib.  Its  course  was  downward  and  forward.  In  R 
few  minutes  the  President  was  removed  to  the  White  House  in 
an  ambulance,  and  at  11.30  a.m.  it  was*  officially  announced 
that  he  had  returned  to  his  normal  condition,  and  that  his  pulse 
was  63.  In  the  afternoon  the  reaction  took  place,,  and  the 
patient's  pulse  at  7  p.m.  stood  at  140.  He  was  reported  to  b<>. 
bleeding  internally,  and  it  was  not  deemed  best  to  probe  the 
wound  for  the  ball.  On  the  arrival  of  Mrs.  Garfield  frem'Lonjr 
Branch,  early  in  the  evening,  the  ^resident  became  easier,  and 
his  pulse  fell  to  112.  It  was  at  this  time  supposed  t&at  the 
right  lobe  of  the  liver  had  been  etetT^t-ed,  and  it  was  F&ough* 


PRESIDENT  QARFIELD.  243 

that  the  ball  was  embedded  either  in  this  organ  or  in  the  an- 
terior wall  of  the  abdomen.  Nausea  and  vomiting  had  occurred 
during  the  day.  In  the  course  of  the  night  the  sick  man  com- 
plained of  pains  in  his  feet,  indicating  that  a  main  nerve  in  his 
back  had  been  affected  by  the  ball.  Few  people  expected  him 
to  live.  Sunday  was  a  day  of  alternating  hopes  and  fears.  In 
the  morning  he  seemed  brighter,  but  in  the  evening  his  pulse 
rose  to  120.  Peritoneal  inflammation  was  feared.  The  10.30 
p.m.  bulletin  was  signed  by  Surgeon-General  Barnes  and  Dr. 
J.  J.  Woodward  in  addition  to  Drs.  Bliss  and  Reyburn.  Mon- 
day morning  Dr.  D.  Hayes  Agnew,  of  Philadelphia,  and  Dr. 
Frank  H.  Hamilton,  of  New  York,  arrived  in  Washington, 
having  been  summoned  at  the  request  of  Mrs.  Garfield,  and 
approved  of  the  course  which  had  been  taken  by  the  attending  . 
physicians.  In  the  morning  bulletin  the  tympanites  (swelling 
of  the  abdomen)  was  referred  to  as  not  having  increased.  The 
President  vomited  slightly  during  the  day.  Dr.  Agnew,  it  was 
reported,  stated  that  the  kidneys  and  stomach  were  uninjured, 
but  that  the  liver  had  been  lacerated.  Altogether  it  was  a 
dismal  Fourth  of  July  all  over  the  country. 

DREAD    GIVING   PLACE    TO    HOPE. 

On  Tuesday  a  more  cheerful  feeling  prevailed.  The  Presi- 
dent was  able  to  retain  food,  and  the  organs  of  the  lower  part 
of  the  abdomen  were  found  to  be  uninjured.  He  did  not  vomit 
during  Monday  night,  and  the  dispatches  sent  to  Drs.  Agnew 
and  Hamilton,  who  had  returned  home,  were  encouraging. 
His  pulse  varied  from  106  to  114.  A  consultation  of  medical 
men  was  held  to  consider  the  question  of  reducing  the  tem- 
perature in  the  sick-room,  but  nothing  definite  was  done  until 
several  days  later.  Wednesday,  July  6,  the  encouraging  symp- 
toms were  continued.  For  the  first  time  since  the  day  he  was 
shot  the  wounded  man's  pulse  fell  to  below  100,  it  being  98  at 
8.30  a.m.,  and  the  first  crisis  was  thought  to  be  passed.  He 
passed  a  comparatively  comfortable  day,  although  the  weather 
was  very  hot,  and  asked  for  substantial  food.  A  simple  arrange- 
ment to  reduce  the  temperature  of  the  room  by  the  absorp- 
tion and  evaporation  of  ice-water  gave  some  relief.  The  next 
day  the  patient's  face  presented  a  slightly  jaundiced  appear- 
ance ;  the  bulletins  were  encouraging.  On  Friday  his  pulse  and 
temperature  were  higher  than  on  the  day  before,  a  slight  fever 


244  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

being  caused  by  the  suppuration  of  the  wound.  In  the  morn- 
ing bulletin  it  was  announced  that  the  wound  had  begun  to  dis- 
charge healthy  pus.  The  President  took  more  nourishment 
than  usual.  Saturday,  July  9,  the  beginning  of  the  second 
week,  was  also  a  hopeful  day.  The  patient  was  in  excellent 
spirits,  and  the  bulletins  were  reassuring.  On  Sunday,  July  lO, 
the  attending  physicians  telegraphed  to  Drs.  Hamilton  and 
Agnew  that  such  slight  changes  as  had  occurred  were  for  the 
better.  Reference  was  made  from  time  to  time  in  these  dis- 
patches to  the  consulting  surgeons  of  the  morphine  and  quinine 
that  were  administered.  The  patient's  pulse  ranged  from  102 
to  108.  The  discharge  of  pus  continued  to  be  favorable.  On 
Monday  recovery  was  pronounced  probable,  and  with  the 
exception  of  the  work  upon  the  refrigerating  machines  the  day 
was  uneventful.  The  next  few  days  showed  what  was  thought 
to  be  continued  improvement.  The  fever  was  less  marked,  and 
the  patient's  appetite  was  better.  On  Thursday,  July  14,  Pro- 
fessors Bell  and  Taintor  arrived  at  Washington  for  the  purpose 
of  experimenting,  in  the  hope  by  the  aid  of  electrical  instru- 
ments of  determining  the  position  of  the  ball  in  the  President's 
body.  On  Saturday,  July  16,  solid  food  was  relished.  The 
patient  seemed  to  be  gaining  strength  daily,  and  the  bulletins 
were  gratifying  though  monotonous.  There  were  said  to  be  no 
indications  of  pyaemia.  In  view  of  his  apparently  steady  pro- 
gress toward  convalescence  it  was  decided  to  issue  only  a  morn- 
ing and  evening  bulletin.  Solid  food  was  eaten  with  great 
relish  on  Sunday,  and  the  President  expressed  a  desire  to  take 
a  ride  down  the  river.  His  pulse  during  these  days  was  gene- 
rally below  100,  and  sometimes  down  to  below  90.  The  follow- 
ing few  days  were  uneventful.  The  patient  appeared  to  be 
improving,  his  appetite  was  good,  and  the  wound  was  regarded 
as  in  a  healthy  condition.  Occasionally  his  pulse  would  rise 
higher  than  usual,  but  this  was  said  to  be  due  to  some  minor 
causes.  On  Friday  some  fibres  of  cloth  and  a  small  piece  of 
bone  were  discharged  from  the  wound  with  the  pus,  and  the 
afternoon  fever  was  more  marked  than  usual. 

THE  PATIENT'S  FIRST  RELAPSE. 

Saturday,  July  23,  however,  three  weeks  after  he  was  shot, 
was  a  day  of  anxiety.  The  previous  night  the  patient  had  been 
restless,  and  at  7  a.m.  he  had  a  chill  which  was  followed  by  a 


PRESIDENT  OARFIELD.  245 

fever.  At  11.30  a.m.  he  had  another  chill,  and  at  12.30  p.m. 
his  pulse  was  125,  temperature  104,  and  respiration  26.  The 
wound  failed  to  discharged  pus  readily,  and  it  was  thought  that 
a  pus  cavity  had  heen  formed.  The  patient  vomited  several 
times  during  the  morning.  Drs.  Agnew  and  Hamilton  were 
hastily  summoned,  and  went  to  Washington  by  special  train. 
This  was  the  first  serious  relapse  that  the'  President  had  had 
since  he  recovered  from  the  first  effects  of  the  wound,  and  the 
feeling  of  alarm  and  anxiety  was  widespread.  The  physicians 
denied  that  pysemia  had  set  in.  Other  chills  followed,  and  on 
the  following  morning  Dr.  Agnew  performed  an  operation  to 
relieve  the  pus  cavity  which  had  formed  a  few  inches  below 
where  the  ball  entered  the  President's  body.  The  cut  was 
about  an  inch  in  length  and  three  quarters  of  an  inch  in  depth, 
and  extended  into  the  original  wound.  At  night  it  was  found 
that  the  pus  from  the  wound  was  draining  through  the  new 
opening.  This  operation  relieved  the  President,  and  the  fever 
diminished.  He  was  free  from  nausea,  and  his  temperature  was 
lower.  The  flow  of  pus  became  as  free  as  usual.  The  patient 
bore  the  operation  without  flinching.  In  the  course  of  this 
operation  it  was  found  that  the  eleventh  rib  had  suffered  a  com- 
pound fracture.  It  was  broken  in  two  places  and  bent  inward. 
Dr.  Rcyburn  was  quoted  as  saying  that  there  were  no  indications 
of  blood  poisoning,  and  the  following  day  Dr.  Bliss  expressed 
the  same  opinion.  Malaria  attacked  several  of  the  attendants 
at  the  White  House,  but  the  President  was  said  to  be  free  from 
any  malarial  symptoms. 

On  Monday,  July  25,  the  patient  seemed  to  be  recovering 
from  the  effects  of  his  relapse.  The  discharge  of  pus  was 
healthy,  and  the  pulse  ranged  from  96  to  110.  On  the  whole 
it  was  thought  that  the  new  trouble  with  the  wound  was  only 
transient.  Tuesday  was  a  day  of  panics  in  Washington  over 
wild  and  absurd  rumors  as  to  the  President's  condition  which 
were  not  warranted  by  the  facts.  Again  he  seemed  to  be  on 
the  road  to  recovery,  and  fear  gave  way  to  a  more  confident 
feeling.  At  the  forenoon  dressing  a  splinter  of  rib  half  an  inch 
long  was  removed  from  the  wound.  Dr.  Hamilton,  who  was  not 
alone  in  his  opinion,  expressed  the  belief  that  the  ball  had 
lodged  in  the  right  iliac  fossa — that  is,  in  the  lower  part  of  the 
abdomen,  on  the  right  side,  twelve  inches  or  more  from  its 
point  of  entrance.  Cheering  reports  continued  as  to  the  pro- 


246  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

gress  of  the  patient.  His  good  spirits  returned,  and  his  appe- 
tite was  excellent.  On  Thursday,  July  28,  he  was  moved  into 
an  adjoining  room  while  the  sick-chamber  was  thoroughly 
cleaned.  On  Friday  the  symptoms  continued  favorable,  and  his 
ultimate  recovery  was  confidently  anticipated.  The  wound  ap- 
peared to  be  in  good  condition,  and  the  patient  rested  well  and 
relished  his  nourishment.  Solid  food  was  taken  on  the  follow- 
ing day.  His  pulse  on  that  day — Saturday,  July  30 — varied 
from  92  to  104.  On  Monday,  August  1,  the  electric  induction 
balance  was  tried,  and  the  approximate  position  of  the  ball  was 
determined.  This  confirmed  the  opinion  of  the  surgeons  that 
the  ball  lay  in  the  front  wall  of  the  abdomen,  about  five  inches 
below  and  to  the  right  of  the  navel,  and  just  over  the  groin. 
So  long  as  it  caused  no  trouble  it  was  thought  best  not  to  at- 
tempt to  remove  it.  In  the  following  few  days  the  reports  were 
all  encouraging.  The  President's  voice  was  natural,  he  took 
nourishment  in  the  usual  quantities,  and  the  febrile  symptoms 
were  not  such  as  to  cause  alarm.  His  recovery  was  regarded  as 
only  a  question  of  time.  It  was  thought  that  the  ball  was  be- 
coming encysted.  The  noon  bulletin  was  again  omitted.  The 
patient  slept  without  the  aid  of  morphine. 

AK    OPERATION   PERFORMED. 

Nothing  of  moment  occurred  until  Monday,  August  8.  The 
fever  on  the  preceding  few  days  had  caused  some  apprehen- 
sions in  the  minds  of  the  surgeons,  and  it  was  thought  to  be  due 
to  some  impediment  to  the  flow  of  pus.  The  mouth  of  the 
original  wound  had  nearly  healed,  and  the  incision  which  was 
made  to  relieve  the  pus  sac  had  become  somewhat  clogged  by 
the  rib.  Accordingly  the  patient  was  given  ether,  and  a  new 
channel  for  the  outflow  of  pus  was  cut  by  Dr.  Agnew  below 
the  twelfth  rib.  It  was  about  three  and  a  half  inches  deep,  and 
extended  into  the  track  of  the  ball.  The  operation  brought  on 
nausea,  and  the  patient's  pulse  rose  to  118,  but  soon  fell  to  100. 
The  flow  of  pus  through  the  new  channel  was  satisfactory, 
and  the  patient  was  relieved.  The  next  day,  Tuesday,  the 
patient's  condition  was  encouraging.  Solid  food,  however,  was 
dispensed  with  for  a  time.  On  Wednesday,  the  President 
signed  a  paper  of  extradition  in  the  case  of  an  escaped  Canadian 
forger.  His  fever  was  less  marked  than  on  the  day  before. 
Koumiss  (fermented  mare's  milk)  and  some  easily  digested 


^  LL  d 


JAMES  A.  GAKFIELD'S  LETTER  TO  HIS  MOTHER—  THE  LAST 
ONE  EVER  WRITTEN  BY  HIM. 


PRESIDENT  GAEFIELD.  247 

solid  food  were  relished.  The  fever  resulting  from  the  operation 
had  abated  on  Thursday,  and  the  patient's  symptoms  were  very 
favorable,  and  he  wrote  the  following  letter  to  his  mother, 
which  now  has  a  peculiar  and  historical  interest,  as  it  is  the 
last  letter  ever  written  by  him  : 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,          \ 
August  11,  1881.  f 

DEAR  MOTHER  :  Don't  be  disturbed  by  conflicting  reports 
about  my  condition.  It  is  true  I  am  still  weak  and  on  mv 
back,  but  I  am  gaining  every  day,  and  need  only  time  and 
patience  to  bring  me  through. 

Give  my  love  to  all  the  relatives  and  friends,  especially  to 
to  sisters  Hetty  and  Mary. 

Your  loving  son,         JAMES  A.  G-ARFIELD. 
Mrs.  ELIZA  GARFIELD,  Hiram,  Ohio. 

On  the  following  day,  Friday,  Dr.  Bliss,  whose  finger  became 
inoculated  with  pus  from  the  President's  wound,  was  taken  sick. 
Tiie  pulse  of  the  President  still  continued  rather  higher  than  was 
wished,  but  this  was  not  regarded  as  alarming.  The  wound  on 
Saturday  was  said  to  be  granulating  finely,  and  the  improved 
condition  of  the  patient  was  noticeable. 

TROUBLED    WITH   DYSPEPSIA. 

On  Sunday,  August  14,  the  case  took  a  new  and  unfavorable 
turn.  The  President's  old  enemy,  dyspepsia,  returned,  and  he 
was  not  able  to  retain  his  food  as  well  as  for  a  few  days  pre- 
vious. His  pulse  in  the  evening  was  108.  The  following  day 
was  an  anxious  one.  The  patient's  stomach  rebelled,  and  caused 
him  to  vomit  several  times.  In  his  weakened  condition  this  was 
recognized  as  a  serious  trouble.  He  had  lost  more  than  fifty 
pounds  during  his  illness,  and  it  was  admitted  that  if  his  stom- 
ach should  refuse  to  assimilate  food  the  situation  would  be 
critical.  Secretary  Blaine  and  Secretary  Lincoln,  who  had  left 
Washington,  were  telegraphed  for.  The  bulletins  stated  that 
the  patient  had  not  slept  well  and  that  his  stomach  was  badly 
out  of  order. 

In  the  afternoon  the  irritability  of  the  President's  stomach 
returned,  and  he  vomited  three  times.  At  6.30  p.m.  his  pulse 
was  130,  having  increased  twelve  beats  since  noon.  For  the 


248  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

first  time  since  lie  was  wounded,  nourishment  was  administered 
by  injection.  The  alarm  that  spread  over  the  country  was  in- 
creased the  next  day  by  the  news  that  the  patient  had  vomited 
again  several  times  during  the  night.  His  pulse  ranged  during 
the  day  from  110  to  120.  His  stomach  continued  weak,  and 
nourishment  was  given  by  injection.  He  failed  to  rally  from 
the  prostration  brought  on  the  day  before.  On  Wednesday,  a 
more  hopeful  feeling  prevailed  at  the  White  House.  The  patient 
took  small  quantities  of  food  in  the  natural  way,  and  his  tem- 
perature was  lower.  His  condition  on  the  whole  was  rather 
more  encouraging,  although,  as  Secretary  Blaine  telegraphed 
United  States  Minister  Lowell  in  England,  it  was  extremely 
critical.  Both  Dr.  Hamilton  and  Dr.  Agnew  were  in  attendance 
during  the  day. 

THE  PAROTID  GLAND  INFLAMED. 

On  Thursday,  August  18,  the  noon  bulletin  said  that  the 
President  was  suffering  from  inflammation  of  the  right  parotid 
gland,  which  is  affected  when  one  has  the  mumps.  The  symp- 
tom was  not  regarded  by  the  surgeons  as  serious,  and  as  the 
patient  retained  small  quantities  of  food,  the  day  was  regarded 
on  the  whole  as  one  of  progress.  Some,  however,  took  a  more 
gloomy  view  of  the  case,  and  in  regard  to  the  sentiment  outside 
the  White  House  it  was  said :  "  Almost  every  one  outside  the 
White  House  believes  that  there  is  a  serious  vitiation  of  the 
patient's  blood,  and  that  this  is  the  cause  of  the  steady  decline 
in  flesh  and  strength.  This  vitiation  is  not  thought  to  amount 
to  pyaemia,  if  there  is  no  rapid  absorption  of  virulent  matter  in 
the  blood;  but  it  is  argued  that  the  blood  is  in  a  depraved 
condition,  and  that  to  this  condition  is  owing  all  the  unfavor- 
able symptoms  and  the  very  grave  fact,  which  no  one  disputes, 
that  in  spite  of  occasional  gains  the  steady  course  of  the  Presi- 
dent  has  been  down  hill  ever  since  he  recovered  from  the  shock 
of  the  wound  and  made  his  first  rally." 

On  the  following  day,  Friday,  it  was  announced  that  the 
patient's  stomach  was  resuming  its  functions.  Yet  the  case 
was  regarded  as  critical,  owing  to  the  exhausted  condition 
of  the  sick  man.  The  parotid  gland  ceased  to  give  the  Presi- 
dent pain,  and  it  was  hoped  that  the  worst  was  over.  Nourish- 
ment was  still  given  by  injection,  as  it  was  imperative  that  the 
strength  of  the  sick  man  should  be  kept  up  by  every  possible 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  $49 

means.  The  parotid  swelling  was  reported  in  the  noon  bulletin 
to  be  diminishing.  The  patient's  pulse  ranged  from  100  to  106. 
Secretary  Blaine  telegraphed  Mr.  Lowell  that  the  President 
was  better  than  he  had  been  for  four  days.  On  Saturday, 
more  food  was  taken  by  the  mouth  and  less  by  injection 
than  on  the  day  before.  The  noon  bulletin  was  delayed,  and 
when  it  was  issued  the  reason  became  apparent.  The  wound, 
it  stated,  had  been  explored  to  a  depth  of  twelve  and  a  half 
inches  by  means  of  a  flexible  tube.  Before  this  time  the 
surgeons  had  been  able  to  examine  the  wound  to  a  depth  of 
only  three  or  four  inches.  The  deeper  penetration  was  per- 
mitted by  the  separation  of  a  small  slough.  The  wound  was 
said  to  be  in  a  good  condition.  The  pus  was  healthy,  and  Dr. 
Bliss  denied  that  the  President  was  suffering  from  pyaemia. 
His  pulse  and  temperature  were  a  little  higher  than  on  the  pre- 
vious day.  The  only  official  reference  to  the  parotid  swelling 
was  in  the  morning  bulletin,  which  stated  that  it  was  unchanged 
and  was  free  from  pain. 

HOPES    AGAIN    DASHED. 

Sunday,  August  21,  was  another  bad  day,  and  the  hopes  of 
the  public  were  again  dashed.  During  the  preceding  night  the 
patient  had  been  somewhat  restless,  and  his  pulse  at  8.30  p.m. 
was  at  106.  His  mind  appeared  to  be  affected  by  his  excessive 
weakness.  In  the  afternoon  he  vomited  three  times,  and  the 
process  of  feeding  him  by  the  mouth  had  again  to  be  suspended 
temporarily.  The  vomiting,  it  was  said,  was  not  caused  by 
nausea,  but  by  the  accumulation  of  saliva  and  phlegm  in  the 
patient's  throat.  The  glandular  irritation,  the  supposed  cause 
of  the  bronchial  obstruction,  was  still  troublesome.  Salve  plas- 
ters and  poultices  seemed  to  have  no  effect  in  reducing  the 
swelling. 

The  reports  that  the  President's  mind  was  wandering  caused 
the  gravest  feeling  of  alarm.  This,  together  with  the  unusually 
high  fever  and  the  temperature  at  one  time  below  the  normal, 
made  the  case  a  critical  one.  His  coughing  deprived  him  of 
rest,  and  he  could  not  regain  strength  by  food  administered 
through  the  mouth,  because  he  could  not  retain  it.  The  reports 
on  Monday,  the  22d,  were  slightly  more  encouraging.  In  the 
course  of  the  day  about  twenty  ounces  of  liquid  food  were 
taken  naturally  and  retained.  The  efforts  to  scatter  the  inflam- 
11* 


250  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

mation  of  the  parotid  gland  were  not  successful,  however,  and 
an  operation  was  talked  of.  The  danger  apprehended  was  from 
continual  waste  without  an  equivalent  rebuilding.  Slight  de- 
lirium caused  by  feebleness  and  by  the  long  illness  was  again 
noticed.  Secretary  Elaine  telegraphed  to  London  that  the  gen- 
eral condition  of  the  President  was  serious  if  not  critical.  "  He 
is  weak,  exhausted,  and  emaciated,"  said  the  dispatch,  "not 
weighing  over  125  or  130  pounds.  His  weight  when  wounded 
was  from  205  to  210  pounds."  His  failure  to  gain  strength  was 
the  cause  for  alarm.  This  dispatch  caused  the  gravest  feeling 
of  uneasiness  everywhere.  The  surgeons  reported  the  wound 
to  be  doing  well. 

On  Tuesday,  the  23d,  there  was  a  ray  of  hope,  and  for  a  time 
a  better  feeling  prevailed.  Thirty  ounces  of  liquid  food  were 
taken  naturally  and  retained,  and  at  one  time  the  patient's  pulse 
was  down  to  96 — the  lowest  point  reached  in  a  fortnight. 
Fears,  however,  that  the  inflamed  parotid  gland  would  suppurate 
occasioned  some  uneasiness.  The  temperature  and  pulse  were 
'  about  the  same  as  on  the  day  before.  On  the  whole  the  Presi- 
dent was  thought  to  be  about  the  same,  and  the  gain,  if  any, 
was  very  slight. 

LANCING    THE    GLANDULAR   SWELLING. 

On  Wednesday,  August  24,  the  parotid  swelling  became  softer 
than  usual,  indicating  that  suppuration  had  begun.  Dr.  Hamil- 
ton, therefore,  took  a  lancet,  and,  throwing  an  antiseptic  spray 
over  the  swelling  without  applying  anaesthetics  in  any  form, 
made  an  incision  upward  for  half  an  inch  and  then  downward 
for  a  like  distance  into  the  cheek  an  inch  in  front  of  and  a  little 
below  the  ear.  The  pulse  immediately  ran  up  to  115,  but  soon 
fell  to  104.  Partially  hardened  pus,  in  quantity  about  as  large 
as  two  peas,  was  taken  out.  The  President  appeared  to  be 
relieved  by  the  operation,  and  it  was  thought  that  danger  from 
this  source  was  removed.  Late  in  the  evening  the  arrival  of 
Dr.  Agnew  from  Philadelphia,  whence  he  had  been  hastily 
summoned,  caused  considerable  alarm.  He  was  driven  to  the 
White  House,  where  the  question  of  the  advisability  of  remov- 
ing the  President  was  under  discussion.  The  members  of  the 
Cabinet  were  also  present.  It  was  decided  not  to  move  the 
patient.  Rumors  also  prevailed  that  Vice-President  Arthur  had 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  251 

been  summoned  to  Washington  to  assume  the  duties  of  the 
Presidency  owing  to  the  inability  of  General  Garfield,  but  these 
proved  to  be  unfounded. 

Thursday,  the  case  assumed  a  more  serious  phase.  The  in- 
cision in  the  glandular  swelling  did  not  produce  the  desired 
results,  and  it  was  still  filled  with  pus  confined  in  cells.  The 
patient's  stomach  seemed  to  be  doing  well,  and  yet  it  was  seen 
that  he  was  gradually  losing  strength,  and  was  hourly  becoming 
less  able  to  throw  off  the  effects  of  vitiated  blood  and  in- 
sufficient nourishment.  Of  itself  the  glandular  disturbance 
would  not  have  been  a  cause  for  serious  .alarm,  but  in  the  en- 
feebled condition  of  the  patient  it  was  liable  to  produce  the 
gravest  results.  Despite  the  operation  the  swelling  did  not  di- 
minish, and  the  discharge  of  pus  was  very  slight.  This,  taken 
with  the  fever  in  the  afternoon,  caused  the  deepest  feeling  of 
anxiety.  The  physicians  themselves  admitted  the  gravity  of  the 
President's  condition,  but  hoped  for  a  favorable  turn.  Secretary 
Elaine  telegraphed  to  Mr.  Lowell  that  the  patient's  mind,  at  in- 
tervals, had  been  clouded,  and  that  he  was  losing  strength. 
Friday  it  was  thought  that  there  was  only  a  slight  chance  of  the 
patient's  recovery.  The  unfavorable  symptoms  continued.  The 
pulse  rose  once  to  138,  and  it  remained  at  136  for  some  time. 
The  patient  on  awakening  suffered  from  some  mental  confusion. 
The  pus  from  the  glandular  swelling  began  to  suppurate  through 
the  ear,  and  in  the  weakened  condition  of  the  patient  this  pro- 
cess, which  ordinarily  would  be  regarded  as  an  encouraging  sign, 
was  looked  upon  as  an  additional  cause  for  alarm.  That  the 
patient's  blood  was  poisoned  Dr.  Bliss  admitted.  The  wound, 
he  said,  looked  badly.  The  sides  were  flabby,  and  the  pus  was 
thin,  watery,  and  unhealthy.  The  only  hope  left  was  based  upon 
the  President's  stomach.  Should  this  fail  him  the  end  would 
only  be  a  question  of  hours.  In  the  noon  bulletin  the  sur- 
geons stated  frankly  for  the  first  time  that  his  condition  was 
critical. 

NEAR  DEATH'S  DOOR. 

Saturday,  August  27,  was  another  day  of  terrible  suspense 
and  anxiety.  It  was  popularly  supposed  that  the  death  of  the 
President  was  only  a  question  of  a  day  or  two,  or  perhaps  a  few 
hours.  The  bulletins  held  out  little  hope.  In  the  morning  and 


252  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

at  noon  the  President's  pulse  was  120.  His  temperature  was 
about  a  degree  higher  at  noon  than  at  8.30  a.m.  He  was 
feebler  than  on  the  day  before.  The  only  encouraging  symptom 
was  his  ability  to  take  and  retain  liquid  food  naturally.  No 
change  was  observed  in  the  parotid  swelling  or  in  the  wound. 
In  the  afternoon,  however,  the  conditions  were  somewhat  more 
encouraging.  His  mind  was  clearer,  and  his  pulse  fell  to  106. 
In  the  evening  he  asked  for  milk  toast,  which  was  given  to  him. 
A  better  feeling  prevailed,  and  this  was  increased  on  Sunday, 
when  the  patient  seemed  to  have  emerged  from  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death.  His  pulse  was  less  frequent,  and  no  trouble 
was  experienced  with  the  stomach.  His  pulse  fell  to  100,  and 
respiration  and  temperature  were  normal.  Another  incision  was 
made  in  the  parotid  swelling  to  facilitate  the  escape  of  pus. 
The  wound  looked  better  than  it  had  on  the  day  before. 

There  is  not  much  to  be  said  about  the  week  that  followed. 
Little  change  was  noticed  in  the  condition  of  the  patient.  He 
seemed  to  hold  his  own  from  day  to  day,  but  made  little  if  any 
perceptible  progress  toward  recovery.  It  was  regarded  as  an  en- 
couraging sign,  however,  that  he  did  not  grow  worse,  and  the 
despondency  of  the  preceding  week  gave  way  to  hope  for  his 
ultimate  recovery.  The  bulletins  were  monotonous,  and  the 
statement  was  made  day  after  day  that  the  condition  of  the  pa- 
tient did  not  differ  materially  from  what  it  was  at  the  same  hour 
on  the  preceding  day.  Some  of  the  symptoms  were  encourag- 
ing. The  glandular  swelling  decreased  in  size,  and  the  patient's 
pulse  was  at  times  as  low  as  90  and  95.  He  slept  fairly  well  at 
night.  Wednesday  evening,  August  31,  his  pulse  ranged  from 
108  to  116,  and  caused  some  uneasiness,  but  the  next  day  the 
fever  subsided  somewhat,  and  there  was  thought  to  be  a  slight 
improvement  in  his  condition.  Solid  food  was  taken  in  consid- 
erable quantities  with  relish. 

The  sultriness  of  the  weather  the  last  of  the  week  reopened 
the  question  of  the  President's  removal  from  the  White  House. 
The  air  in  Washington  is  full  of  malaria  in  September,  and  it  was 
decided  by  the  Cabinet  and  the  surgeons  that  his  removal  was 
imperative.  The  President  himself  expressed  a  preference  for 
Long  Branch,  inasmuch  as  it  was  inexpedient  to  undertake  a 
journey  to  Mentor,  and  this  was  finally  determined  upon  on  Sat- 
urday, September  3.  Plis  condition  was  comfortable,  and  it 
was  thought  that  there  would  be  less  risk  in  taking  the  journey 


PRESIDENT  GAEFIELD.  253 

than  in  remaining  in  Washington.  Late  Saturday  evening  there 
was  a  slight  disturbance  of  the  patient's  stomach,  and  he  vomited 
twice  in  the  night.  The  vomiting  was  caused  by  phlegm  in  the 
throat,  it  was  thought,  and  was  unaccompanied  by  serious  re- 
sults. His  pulse  was  somewhat  higher  on  Sunday  than  on  Sat- 
urday. The  prospect  of  going  to  Long  Branch  seemed  to  make 
the  patient  slightly  restless  and  nervous.  The  parotid  swelling 
continued  to  improve,  and  the  condition  of  the  wound  remained 
about  the  same. 

REMOVED  TO  LONG  BRANCH. 

Nothing  of  special  importance  occurred  until  Wednesday, 
September  7,  when  the  President  was  safely  removed  to  Long 
Branch  by  rail.  Elaborate  preparations  had  been  made  for  the 
journey.  Shortly  before  6  a.m.  the  patient  was  carried  down- 
stairs and  placed  in  an  Adams  Express  wagon,  in  which  he  was 
driven  from  the  White  House  to  the  special  train  which  had  been 
fitted  up  for  his  reception.  His  pulse  before  he  left  the  White 
House  was  118,  temperature  99.8,  respiration  18.  The  car  in 
which  he  was  placed  had  been  carefully  fitted  up  with  a  spring 
bed,  by  which  the  motion  of  the  car  was  reduced  to  a  minimum. 
The  road  to  Long  Branch,  by  way  of  Philadelphia,  Monmouth 
Junction,  and  Sea  Girt,  was  cleared  of  all  trains,  and  the  journey 
was  made  rapidly  and  without  accident.  Crowds  of  people  were 
present  at  many  of  the  stations,  but  they  kept  perfectly  quiet. 
Up  to  Philadelphia  the  President  seemed  to  enjoy  the  ride,  but 
from  Philadelphia  to  Sea  Girt  he  was  restless  and  seemed  to  be 
exhausted  by  the  journey.  The  salt  air  which  blew  through  the 
car  on  its  journey  from  Sea  Girt  to  Long  Branch  revived  him 
somewhat.  The  train  reached  Elberon  at  a  few  minutes  past  1 
o'clock,  and  the  President  was  immediately  removed  to  the  room 
which  had  been  prepared  for  him  in  the  cottage  of  Mr.  C.  G. 
Francklyn.  At  6.30  p.m.  his  pulse  was  found  to  be  124,  tem- 
perature 101.6,  respiration  18.  The  increased  pulse  was  said  to 
be  due  to  the  excitement  and  fatigue  incidental  to  the  journey. 
In  the  evening  the  fever  was  less  marked. 

On  the  following  day,  despite  the  intense  heat  that  prevailed 
at  Long  Branch,  the  President  expressed  himself  as  "  feeling 
better,"  and  the  physicians  were  hopeful  of  speedy  progress 
toward  health.  At  the  President's  own  desire,  Drs.  Barnes, 


254  TEE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

Reyburn,  and  Woodward  withdrew  from  the  corps  of  attending 
surgeons,  after  signing  the  official  bulletins  of  that  day,  the 
President  believing  that  a  smaller  number  of  attendants  could 
manage  the  case  as  well  as  the  number  at  first  engaged  upon 
it. 

Slight  but  positive  improvement,  with  few  fluctuations,  was 
made  by  the  President,  until  Sunday,  the  llth,  when  some  anx- 
iety was  caused  by  the  announcement  of  a  rise  in  pulse,  tempera- 
ture, and  respiration,  and  a  distressing  cough  revealed  the  pres- 
ence of  some  lung  trouble,  supposed  to  be  the  formation  of  a  pus 
cavity  in  the  right  lobe,  from  which  pus  was  discharged  into  his 
throat.  At  the  same  time  there  was  a  marked  improvement  in 
the  condition  of  the  parotid  gland,  some  of  the  affected  portion 
sloughing  away,  to  the  relief  of  the  patient,  and  on  Monday 
there  was  a  change  for  the  better,  the  lung  trouble  partially  sub- 
siding, the  gland  and  wound  making  good  progress  in  healing, 
and  the  stomach  continuing  to  perform  its  functions  well.  The 
favorable  symptoms  continued  on  the  following  day,  when  the 
President  was  placed  for  the  first  time  in  a  reclining  chair,  and 
spent  half  an  hour  there  without  bad  results.  The  lung  trouble 
apparently  grew  less,  and  the  patient  no  longer  felt  the  continual 
sense  of  fatigue  of  which  he  had  formerly  complained.  On 
Wednesday,  the  15th,  he  was  again  placed  in  the  reclining  chair, 
and  partook,  among  other  things,  of  some  fruit,  with  evident 
relish.  Less  progress  was  perceptible,  however,  than  on  the  pre- 
vious day,  and  it  became  apparent  that  he  was  suffering  from  an 
abscess  in  the  lower  part  of  the  right  lung,  the  result  of  septic 
infection  of  the  blood.  Thursday  there  was  no  change  in  his 
condition.  He  took  food  in  variety,  though  his  appetite  was  not 
strong.  His  determination  to  get  well  wavered  a  little  at  times, 
and  he  once  expressed  fear  that  bringing  him  to  the  seaside  would 
be  of  no  avail  after  ah1. 

Public  anxiety  increased  greatly  on  Friday,  September  16th, 
as  the  President  coughed  a  great  deal ;  the  sputa  was  purulent ; 
the  wound  was  not  healthy  in  appearance,  and  the  discharge 
from  it  was  thin  and  watery.  At  times  his  respiration  was  22. 
He  was  again  afflicted  with  bed-sores,  and  although  his  stomach 
acted  well,  and  he  ate  more  food  than  usual,  he  was  evidently 
growing  weaker. 


r 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  £55 


THE    BEGINNING   OF   THE   END. 

Half  an  hour  before  noon  on  Saturday,  September  17th,  a  se- 
vere chill  set  in,  lasting  for  fully  half  an  hour.  Slight  evidences 
of  a  chill  had  been  discovered  the  preceding  night,  but  the  phy- 
sicians had  been  able  to  keep  it  under  control.  The  attack  of 
the  chills  was  followed  later  by  profuse  perspiration  and  high 
fever.  Toward  night  the  patient  felt  slightly  relieved.  In  the 
evening  of  the  following  day,  Sunday,  a  chill  lasting  for  fifteen 
minutes  excited  the  gravest  apprehensions  among  the  President's 
attendants.  The  patient  suffered  severely  from  its  effects. 
Though  the  patient  felt  relieved  a  few  hours  later,  the  physicians 
were  of  the  opinion  that  the  situation  was  very  critical: 

HIS   LAST   DAY. 

Monday,  September  19,  opened  ominously.  A  chill  lasting 
about  fifteen  minutes  occurred  at  8.30  a.m.  It  was  followed 
by  a  considerable  febrile  rise  and  sweating.  The  bulletin  issued 
at  12.30  p.m.  stated  that  the  sufferer's  general  condition  remained 
unchanged  ;  his  temperature  at  that  time  being  98.2,  pulse  104, 
respiration  20.  Ever  since  the  first  chill  had  seized  the  patient 
he  had  been  sinking  slowly  and  gradually.  Immediately  after 
the  issue  of  the  second  bulletin  dispatches  were  sent  by  Secretary 
MacVeagh  to  Secretaries  Elaine  and  Lincoln  to  hasten  their  re- 
turn to  Elberon.  A  dispatch  was  also  sent  to  Vice-President 
Arthur.  Everybody  seemed  to  be  convinced  that  the  crisis  was 
at  hand.  The  evening  bulletin  gave  scarcely  any  encouragement. 
As  the  evening  passed  the  patient  seemed  to  grow  weaker  and 
weaker,  and  at  10.35  p.m.,  after  a  struggle  for  life  lasting  sev- 
enty-nine days,  death  relieved  the  sufferer. 

PULSE,    TEMPERATURE,    AND    RESPIRATION. 

The  following  table  shows  the  fluctuations  in  the  President's 
pulse,  temperature,  and  respiration  from  day  to  day  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death.  The  figures  are  taken  from  the  morning, 
noon,  and  early  evening  bulletins  : 


256 


THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


DATE. 

PULSE. 

TEMPERATURE. 

KESPIRATION. 

A.M. 

ii. 

P.M. 

A.M. 

M. 

P.M. 

A.M. 

M. 

P.M. 

JUly     3     

120 

100 

20 

July    4... 

108 

110 

126 

99.4 

100 

101.9 

19 

24 

24 

July    5... 

114 

110 

106 

100.5 

101 

100.9 

24 

24 

24 

July    6... 

98 

100 

104 

98.9 

99.7 

100.6 

23 

23 

23 

July    7... 

94 

100 

106 

99.1 

100.8 

100.2 

23 

23 

23 

July    8... 

96 

108 

108 

99.2 

101.4 

101.3 

23 

24 

24 

July    9... 

100 

104 

108 

99.4 

101.2 

101.9 

24 

22 

24 

July  10... 

106 

102 

108 

100 

100.5 

101.9 

23 

22 

24 

July  11... 

98 

106 

108 

99.2 

99.8 

102.8 

22 

24 

24 

July  12... 

96 

100 

104 

99.6 

100.8 

102.4 

22 

24 

24 

July  13... 

90 

94 

100 

98.5 

100.6 

101.6 

20 

22 

24 

July  14... 

90 

94 

98 

99.8 

98.5 

101 

22 

22 

23 

July  15... 

90 

94 

98 

98.5 

98.5 

100.4 

18 

18 

20 

July  16.. 

90 

94 

98 

98.5 

98.4 

100.2 

18 

18 

19 

July  17... 

90 

94 

98 

98.4 

98.5 

100.2 

18 

18 

20 

July  18..  . 

88 

98 

102 

98.4 

98.5 

100.7 

•18 

18 

21 

July  19... 

90 

92 

96 

98.5 

98.5 

99.8 

18 

19 

19 

July  20... 

86 

88 

98 

98.4 

98.4 

99.6 

18 

18 

19 

July  21... 

88 

92 

96 

98.4 

95.4 

99.9 

18 

19 

19 

July  22... 

88 

98 

98 

98.4 

98.4 

100.2 

17 

18 

19 

July  23... 

92 

125 

118 

97.4 

104 

101.7 

19 

26 

2G 

July  24... 

98 

118 

104 

98.4 

99.8 

99.2 

18 

24 

23 

July  25... 

96 

104 

110 

98.4 

98.4 

101.8 

18 

20 

24 

July  26... 

102 

106 

104 

98.4 

98.4 

100.7 

18 

19 

22 

July  27... 

94 

90 

95 

98.4 

98.4 

98.5 

18 

18 

20 

July  28... 

92 

94 

104 

98.4 

98.5 

100.5 

18 

18 

20 

July  29... 

92 

98 

98 

98.4 

98.4 

100 

18 

19 

20 

July  30... 

92 

98 

104 

98.5 

98.5 

100 

18 

20 

20 

July  31... 

94 

100 

104 

98.4 

98.5 

90 

18 

19 

20 

Aug.    1.. 

94 

100 

104 

98.4 

98.4 

99.5 

18 

19 

20 

Aug.    2.. 

94 

99 

104 

98.4 

88.4 

100 

18 

19 

20 

Aug.    3.. 

96 

100 

102 

98.4 

98.4 

99.4 

18 

19 

19 

Aug.    4. 

90 

96 

102 

98.4 

98.4 

100.2 

18 

18 

19 

Aug.    5.. 

88 

98 

102 

98.4 

98.4 

100.4 

18 

18 

19 

Aug.    6.  . 

92 

100 

102 

98.4 

98.5 

101.8 

18 

19 

19 

Aug.    7..     . 

96 

104 

104 

98.7 

100 

101.2 

18 

20 

20 

Aug.    8..     . 

94 

104 

108 

98.4 

100.2 

101.9 

18 

20 

19 

Aug.    9..     . 

98 

104 

106 

99.8 

99.7 

101.9 

19 

19 

19 

Aug.  10..     . 

104 

110 

108 

98.5 

98.6 

101 

19 

19 

19 

Aug.  11.  .     . 

100 

102 

108 

98.6 

98.6 

101.2 

19 

19 

19 

Aug.  12.  .     . 

100 

100 

108 

98.6 

99.3 

101.2 

19 

19 

19 

Aug.  13.  .     . 

104 

102 

104 

100.8 

99.2 

100.7 

19 

18 

19 

Aug.  14.  . 

100 

96 

108 

99.8 

99.3 

100.8 

18 

18 

19 

Aug.  15..     . 

108 

118 

130 

100.2 

99 

99.6 

20 

19 

22 

Aug.  16..     . 

110 

114 

120 

98.6 

98.3 

98.9 

18 

18 

19 

PRESIDENT  GARFIELD 


257 


DATE. 

PTLSE. 

TI 

.MPERATTT 

RE. 

RES] 

'IRATJ 

ox. 

A.M. 

it. 

P.M. 

A.M. 

M. 

P.M. 

A.M. 

M. 

P.M. 

Aug.  17.  . 

110 

112 

112 

98.3 

98.7 

98.8 

IF 

IF 

1i 

Aug.  18.  . 

104 

108 

108 

98.8 

98.4 

100 

17 

18 

18 

Aug.  19.  . 

100 

106 

106 

98.4 

98.8 

100 

17 

17 

18 

Aug.  20.  . 

98 

107 

110 

98.4 

98.4 

100.4 

18 

18 

19 

Aug.  21.  . 

106 

108 

108 

98.8 

99.4 

99.2 

18 

18 

18 

Aug.  22.  . 

104 

104 

110 

98.4 

98.4 

100.1 

18 

18 

19 

Aug.  23.  . 

100 

104 

104 

98.4 

98.9 

99.2 

18 

18 

19 

Aug.  24.  . 

100 

104 

108 

98.5 

99.2 

100.7 

17 

17 

19 

Aug.  25. 

106 

112 

112 

98.5 

99.2 

99.8 

18 

19 

19 

Aug.  26. 

108 

118 

116 

99.1 

100 

99.9 

17 

18 

18 

Aug.  27. 

120 

120 

114 

98.4 

99.6 

98.9 

22 

22 

22 

Aug.  28. 

100 

104 

110 

93.4 

99.5 

99.7 

17 

18 

20 

Aug.  29. 

100 

106 

110 

98.5 

98.6 

100.5 

17 

18 

18 

Aug.  30. 

102 

116 

109 

98.5 

98.9 

99.5 

18 

18 

18 

Aug.  31. 

100 

95 

109 

98.4 

98.4 

98.6 

18 

17 

18 

Sept.  1. 

100 

108 

108 

98.4 

98.6 

99.4 

17 

18 

18 

Sept.  2. 

100 

108 

104 

98.4 

98.7 

99.2 

17 

18 

18 

Sept.  3. 

104 

104 

102 

98.6 

98.4 

99.6 

18 

18 

18 

Sept.  4. 

108 

106 

110 

98.4 

98.4 

99 

18 

18 

18 

Sept.  5. 

102 

114 

108 

99.5 

99.5 

99.8 

18 

18 

18 

On  Tuesday,  September  6,  the  President  was  removed  by  rail 
to  the  Francklyn  cottage,  Elberon,  Long  Branch,  N.  J.  In  the 
early  morning,  before  leaving  Washington,  his  pulse  was  118; 
during  the  journey  it  fell  to  110,  and  even  lower;  and  at  6.30 
p.m.,  when  the  only  official  bulletin  for  the  day  was  issued,  and 
the  President  had  been  in  his  new  quarters  several  hours,  his 
pulse  was  124,  temperature  101.6,  and  respiration  18.  The 
record  of  the  bulletins  thereafter  is  as  follows : 


Sept.  7. 

106 

114 

108 

98.4 

98.4 

101 

18 

18 

18 

Sept.  8. 

104 

94 

100 

98.7 

98.4 

99.1 

18 

17 

18 

Sept.  9. 

100 

100 

100 

98.5 

98.4 

98.8 

17 

17 

18 

Sept.  10. 

100 

100 

100 

99.4 

98.5 

98.7 

18 

18 

18 

Sept.  11. 

104 

110 

110 

98.8 

100 

106 

19 

20 

20 

Sept.  12. 

100 

106 

100 

98.4 

99.2 

98.6 

18 

20 

18 

Sept.  13. 

100 

100 

100 

99.4 

98.8 

98.4 

20 

20 

20 

Sept.  14. 

100 

104 

112 

98.4 

98.8 

99.2 

19 

20 

21 

Sept.  15. 

100 

102 

104 

98.4 

98.9 

99.2 

20 

21 

21 

Sept.  16. 

104 

116 

104 

98.6 

99.8 

98.6 

21 

21 

22 

Sept.  17. 

108 

120 

102 

99.8 

102 

98 

21 

24 

18 

Sept.  18. 

102 

116 

102 

98 

100 

98.4 

18 

20 

20 

Sept.  19. 

106 

104 

102 

98.8 

98.2 

98.4 

22 

20 

18 

TEE  ASSASSINATION 


DEATH  OP  THE  PEESIDENT. 


HIS  LAST  MOMENTS. 

A    SUDDEN    AND    UNEXPECTED    END THE   ANNOUNCEMENT  A  SUR- 
PRISE  THE      CABINET      SUMMONED      AND      VICE-PRESIDENT 

ARTHUR    INFORMED. 


THE  END. 

A  wasp  flew  out  upon  our  fairest  son, 

And  stung  him  to  the  quick  with  poisoned  shaft, 

The  while  he  chatted  carelessly  and  laughed, 

And  knew  not  of  the  fateful  mischief  done. 

And  so  this  life,  amid  our  love  begun, 

Envenomed  by  the  insect's  hellish  craft, 

Was  drunk  by  Death  in  one  long  feverish  draught, 

And  he  was  lost— our  precious,  priceless  onel 

O  mystery  of  blind,  remorseless  fate! 

O  cruel  end  of  a  most  causeless  hate! 

That  life  so  mean  should  murder  life  so  great! 

What  is  there  left  to  us  who  think  and  feel, 

Who  have  no  remedy  and  no  appeal, 

But  damn  the  wasp  and  crush  him  under  heel? 

J.  G.  HOLLAND. 

LONG  BRANCH,  Sept.  19.— The  President  of  the  United  States 
died  to-night  unexpectedly  at  10.35  o'clock.  Between  9  and 
10  o'clock  almost  all  the  correspondents  who  had  been  closely 
watching  the  case  left  the  Elberon  and  went  to  the  West  End  to 
finish  their  dispatches  and  place  them  upon  the  wires  there. 
The  information  that  the  President  was  sinking  fast  was  sent  to 
the  West  End  Hotel  at  10.45.  At  once  the  correspondents 
and  others  hastened  to  Elberon.  When  they  reached  that  spot 
no  particulars  could  be  learned.  At  first  Warren  Young  had 
brought  the  news  across  the  lawn  to  the  hotel.  At  11.05  At- 
torney-General MacVeagh  appeared  in  the  hotel,  took  posses- 


PRESIDENT  GAEFIELD.  259 

kion  of  the  Western  Union  wire  in  the  name  of  the  government 
and  sent  to  Vice-President  Arthur  a  dispatch  informing  him  in 
the  briefest  manner  that  the  President  was  dead,  and  saying 
that  he  would  at  once  consult  the  other  members  of  the  Cabi- 
net. The  members  of  the  Cabinet  were  at  once  summoned. 
In  a  few  minutes,  having  started  from  the  West  End  before  the 
reception  of  the  summons,  they  were  at  Elberon,  and,  arm  in 
arm,  they  walked  across  the  lawn  in  the  darkness  to  the  cottage, 
where  the  dead  President  lay. 

Judge-Advocate-General  Swaim,  who  was  with  the  President 
the  night  of  his  death,  gives  the  following  description  of  great 
interest  of  the  President's  last  moments  of  life :  "  It  was  my 
night  to  watch  with  the  President.  I  had  been  with  him  a  good 
deal  of  the  time  from  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  A  few  min- 
utes before  10  o'clock  I  left  Colonel  Rockwell,  with  whom  I  had 
been  talking  for  some  minutes,  in  the  lower  hall  and  proceeded 
upstairs  to  the  President's  room.  On  entering  I  found  Mrs. 
Garfield  sitting  by  his  bedside.  There  were  no  other  persons 
in  the  room.  I  said  to  her,  '  How  is  everything  going  ? '  She 
replied,  '  He  is  sleeping  nicely.'  I  then  said,  '  I  think  you  had 
better  go  to  bed  and  rest.'  I  asked  her  what  had  been  pre- 
scribed for  him  to  take  during  the  night.  She  replied  that  she 
did  not  know ;  that  she  had  given  him  milk  punch  at  8  o'clock. 
I  then  said,  '  If  you  will  wait  a  moment  I  will  go  into  the  doc- 
tor's room  and  see  what  is  to  be  given  during  the  night.'  She 
then  said,  '  There  is  beef  tea  downstairs.  Daniel  knows  where 
to  get  it.'  I  then  went  into  the  doctor's  room.  I  found  Dr. 
Bliss  there,  and  asked  him  what  was  to  be  given  during  the 
night.  He  answered,  '  I  think  I  had  better  fix  up  a  list,  and 
will  bring  it  in  to  you  pretty  soon.'  I  then  went  back  into  the 
surgeon's  room,  and  had  some  little  conversation  with  Mrs.  Gar- 
field.  She  felt  of  the  President's  hand  and  laid  her  hand  on  his 
forehead,  and  said,  '  He  seems  to  be  in  a  good  condition,'  and 
passed  out  of  the  room.  I  immediately  felt  his  hands,  feet,  and 
knees.  I  thought  that  his  knees  seemed  a  little  cool  and  got  a 
flannel  cloth,  heated  it  at  the  fire,  and  laid  it  over  his  limbs.  I 
also  heated  another  cloth  and  laid  it  over  his  right  hand,  and 
then  sat  down  in  a  chair  beside  his  bed.  I  was  hardly  seated 
when  Dr.  Boynton  came  in  and  felt  the  President's  pulse.  I 
asked  him  how  it  seemed  to  him.  He  replied,  'It  is  not  as 
strong  as  it  was  this  afternoon,  but  very  good.'  I  said,  '  He 


260  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

seems  to  be  doing  well.'  'Yes,'  lie  answered  and  passed  out. 
He  was  not  in  the  room  more  than  two  minutes. 

"  Shortly  after  this  the  President  awoke.  As  he  turned  his 
head  on  awakening  I  arose  and  took  hold  of  his  hand.  I  was 
on  the  left-hand  side  of  the  bed  as  he  lay.  I  remarked,  '  You 
have  had  a  nice  comfortable  sleep.' 

"  He  then  said,  '  Oh,  Swaim,  this  terrible  pain ! '  placing  his 
right  hand  on  his  breast,  about  over  the  region  of  the  heart.  I 
asked  him  if  I  could  do  anything  for  him.  He  said,  '  Some  water.' 
I  went  to  the  other  side  of  the  room  and  poured  about  an  ounce 
and  a  half  of  Poland  water  into  a  glass  and  gave  it  to  him  to 
drink.  He  took  the  glass  in  his  hand,  I  raising  his  head  as 
usual,  and  drank  the  water  very  naturally.  I  then  handed  the 
glass  to  the  colored  man  Daniel,  who  came  in  during  the  time  I 
was  getting  the  water.  Afterward  I  took  a  napkin  and  wiped 
his  forehead,  as  he  usually  perspired  on  awaking.  He  then 
said,  '  Oh,  Swaim,  this  terrible  pain !  press  your  hand  on  it.' 
I  laid  my  hand  on  his  chest.  He  then  threw  both  hands  up  to 
the  side  and  about  on  a  line  with  his  head,  and  exclaimed,  '  Oh, 
Swaim !  can't  you  stop  this?'  And  again,  'Oh,  Swaim  ! ' 

"  I  then  saw  him  looking  at  me  with  a  staring  expression.  I 
asked  him  if  he  was  suffering  much  pain.  Receiving  no  answer, 
I  repeated  the  question,  with  like  result.  I  then  concluded  that 
he  was  either  dying  or  was  having  a  severe  spasm,  and  called 
to  Daniel,  who  was  at  the  door,  to  tell  Dr.  Bliss  and  Mrs.  Gar- 
field  to  come  immediately,  and  glanced  at  the  small  clock  hang- 
ing on  the  chandelier  nearly  over  the  foot  of  his  bed  and  saw 
that  it  was  ten  minutes  past  10  o'clock.  Dr.  Bliss  came  in 
within  two  or  three  minutes.  I.  told  Daniel  to  bring  the  light. 
A  lighted  candle  habitually  sat  behind  a  screen  near  the  door. 
When  the  light  shone  full  on  the  President's  face  I  saw  that  he 
was  dying.  When  Dr.  Bliss  came  in  a  moment  after  I  said, 
'  Doctor,  have  you  any  stimulants  ?  he  seems  to  be  dying.'  He 
took  hold  of  the  President's  wrist,  as  if  feeling  for  his  pulse,  and 
said,  '  Yes,  he  is  dying.'  I  then  said  to  Daniel,  '  Run  and 
arouse  the  house.'  At  that  moment  Colonel  Rockwell  came  in, 
when  Dr.  Bliss  said,  '  Let  us  rub  his  limbs,'  which  we  did.  In 
a  very  few  moments  Mrs.  Garfield  came  in  and  said,  '  What 
does  this  mean?'  and  a  moment  after  exclaimed,  'Oh!  why  am 
I  made  to  suffer  this  cruel  wrong  ? '  At  10.30  o'clock  the  sacrifice 
was  completed.  He  breathed  his  last  calmly  and  peacefully. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  261 

"  At  the  final  moment  the  following  persons  were  present : 
Mrs.  Garfield  and  Miss  Mollie  Garfield,  Drs.  Bliss,  Agnew,  and 
Boynton,  General  Swaim,  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Rockwell,  J.  Stanley 
Brown,  C.  O.  Rockwell,  and  Daniel  Spriggs." 

Dr.  Boynton  gives  the  following  account  of  the  death-scene : 

Just  before  10  o'clock,  as  the  cottage  was  closing,  he  went  up 
to  the  President's  room,  and  upon  feeling  the  President's  pulse 
noticed  it  was  weaker.  Without  awakening  the  President  he 
called  the  attention  of  General  Swaim  to  the  fact,  and  then, 
thinking  a  change  was  impending,  he  went  over  to  the  hotel  to 
send  some  dispatch.  He  was  almost  immediately  summoned. 
Upon  going  over  in  haste  and  entering  the  room  he  saw  clearly 
that  the  President  was  dying.  Most  of  the  family  had  arrived 
in  the  room ;  all  the  surgeons  were  found  in  time  except  Dr. 
Hamilton.  Scarcely  a  word  was  spoken  by  any  one,  as  it  was 
clear  to  all  at  a  glance  that  the  President  was  dying.  As  those 
summoned  came  in  they  silently  took  their  places  about  the 
bed.  Colonel  Rockwell  stood  at  the  head,  General  Swaim  first 
to  the  left,  next  Mrs.  Garfield,  who  gently  held  her  hand  on 
the  President's  face  and  breast.  Next  stood  Mrs.  Rockwell. 
Dr.  Boynton  stood  to  the  right  of  the  President's  head,  next 
Dr.  Agnew,  and  next  to  him  Dr.  Bliss.  Private  Secretary 
Brown  stood  a  little  in  the  rear  and  to  the  left  of  Mrs.  Gar- 
field.  "  Dan,"  the  colored  man,  was  a  little  way  from  the  foot 
of  the  bed.  Miss  Mollie  Garfield  was  near  the  door. 

All  stood  silently  in  these  positions  watching  the  dying  man. 
Once  or  twice  there  were  low  whispers  among  the  surgeons. 
Dr.  Agnew  held  the  pulse,  and  Dr.  Boynton  listened  for  the 
heart,  but  could  hear  no  sound.  The  only  treatment  attempted 
was  to  give  a  hypodermic  injection  to  allay  pain.  The  Presi- 
dent lay  perfectly  still  after  he  first  called  for  General  Swaim 
and  told  him  of  the  pain  over  his  heart.  He  simply  gasped 
slowly  and  at  intervals,  and  thus  watched  he  passed  quietly 
away  in  about  twenty  minutes.  Not  a  muscle  moved  except  in 
the  gasping,  and  there  was  no  quiver  or  expression  to  tell  of 
pain.  At  death,  the  eyes  rested  half  closed,  as  if  in  partial 
sleep.  Mrs.  Garfield  was  strongly  affected,  but  said  nothing, 
and  did  not  break  down.  After  death  she  left  the  room  quietly, 
but  returned  in  about  half  an  hour  and  sat  by  the  bed,  scarcely 
speaking  until  about  2  o'clock.  At  that  hour  Dr.  Boynton 
urged  her  to  retire,  which  she  did. 


262  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

One  present  in  the  room  at  the  time  of  the  death  says  Mrs. 
Garfield  bore  herself  with  surprising  fortitude.  Her  Christian 
courage  did  not  forsake  her  for  a  moment.  She  remained  a 
short  time  after  the  death  was  apparent  to  all,  then  withdrew 
quietly  to  her  own  room.  Miss  Mollie  Garfield  was  overcome 
from  the  moment  of  the  sudden  summons  to  go  to  her  father's 
bedside,  and  gave  full  vent  to  her  grief  in  spite  of  every  effort 
at  self-control.  To  most  there,  as  to  all  outside,  the  sudden  and 
unforeseen  news  came  more  as  a.  bewildering  shock  than  as  an 
event  which  could  be  measured  or  realized.  Hours  after  men 
walked  and  talked  of  it  as  of  a  matter  scarcely  tangible. 

Secretary  Windom,  Secretary  Kirkwood,  and  Postmaster- 
General  James  had  just  returned  to  their  rooms  and  retired. 
They  spent  the  time  after  their  arrival  at  the  Francklyn  Cottage 
in  discussing  the  preparations  for  the  obsequies  and  kindred 
affairs,  but  took  no  formal  action  except  in  regard  to  telegraph- 
ing the  Vice-President.  Secretary  Windom  said  that  he  had 
been  trying  to  convince  himself,  and  had  almost  succeeded,  that 
there  was  still  a  chance  for  recovery,  when  he  was  suddenly  re- 
quested by  Mr.  Jameson  to  open  his  door  and  the  startling 
announcement  was  made  that  the  President  was  dead. 

"I  had  been  depressed  all  day,"  said  Postmaster-General 
James,  "  and  could  not  get  rid  of  the  idea  that  the  end  was  near, 
yet  I  think  it  shocked  us  all  more  than  it  would  have  done  had 
death  resulted  soon  after  the  shooting." 

"  I  was  in  bed,"  said  Secretary  Kirkwood,  "  and  the  sum- 
mons came  like  a  thunder-clap  out  of  the  clear  sky.  I  have  had 
little  hope  of  his  recovery  for  several  days,  but  this  was  a  sur- 
prise." 

"  I  believe  he  was  ready  for  death,"  said  Mr.  James ;  "  no  man 
was  better  prepared." 

"  Yes,"  added  Secretary  Windom,  "  he  was  not  afraid  of  it. 
He  has  discussed  the  matter  during  the  last  two  or  three  days 
with  his  attendants,  and  his  words  have  shown  that  he  was  con- 
sidering the  sad  probability  very  calmly.  Yes,  he  was  ready 
on  the  very  day  he  was  shot,  when  he  expected  to  die.  He 
said  to  Mrs.  Windom,  '  That  is  all  right,  all  right.' " 

No  words  can  describe  the  grief  which  the  tone  and  subdued 
manner  of  the  speakers  betrayed.  Hands  were  clasped  at  part- 
ing as  if  in  this  common  sorrow  they  fain  would  sustain  each 
other. 


PRESIDENT  GAEFIELD.  263 

The  suddenness  with  which  the  news  of  the  death  came  can 
hardly  be  realized  by  one  not  at  Elberon.  The  cottage  was 
closed  at  10  o'clock  for  the  night.  The  two  doorkeepers, 
Kicker  and  Atchison,  had  strolled  down  to  the  beach  for  a  short 
walk  before  going  to  bed.  Suddenly  Ricker  said  to  Atchison 
that  the  house  was  all  lighted  up.  They  both  started  up, 
and  at  the  cottage  door  met  Private  Secretary  Brown,  who  told 
them  that  the  President  was  very  low,  and  asked  them  to  .call 
the  surgeons  and  the  Attorney-General  and  other  members  of 
the  Cabinet.  Dr.  Boynton  was  talking  in  the  hotel  office  at  the 
time.  He  hastily  ran  toward  the  cottage,  and  in  a  moment  or 
two  returned  and  announced  that  the  President  was  rapidly 
sinking,  and  again  he  returned  to  the  death-chamber.  At- 
torney-General MacVeagh  was  in  bed,  but  he  was  up  and  dressed 
in  two  or  three  minutes.  A  carriage  was  hastily  dispatched  for 
the  other  members  of  the  Cabinet  at  the  West  End,  but  they 
did  not  arrive  till  some  minutes  after  the  sad  event  had  occurred. 
The  first  news  of  the  death  of  the  President  which  reached  the 
outside  of  the  cottage  was  carried  by  Warren  Young,  one  of  the 
White  House  clerks.  He  carried  in  his  hand  some  dispatches 
which  had  been  indited  to  relatives  of  the  President.  He  was 
asked  about  the  condition  of  the  President,  and  replied,  "  All 
is  over." 

HOW-  THE  PRESIDENT'S  MOTHER  BORE  THE  NEWS. 

At  six  o'clock  on  Tuesday  morning  the  sad  news  was  received 
by  telegram  at  a  place  called  Solon,  near  Mentor,  where  the 
President's  mother  was  stopping  with  a  married  daughter  named 
Mrs.  Larabee.  The  dispatch  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 
daughter.  Her  mother  was  sleeping  calmly,  and  the  old  lady 
did  not  awake  until  8  o'clock.  At  that  time  Mrs.  Larabee 
passed  her  door  with  a  heavy  heart,  and  found  her  dressed  and 
engaged  in  reading  the  Bible.  It  was  thought  best  not  to  break 
the  news  until  Mrs.  Garfield  had  eaten  breakfast.  Oddly  enough 
the  old  lady  did  not  insist  upon  hearing  the  news  until  the  meal 
was  finished.  Then,  taking  the  fatal  telegram  from  the  shelf, 
she  was  about  to  read,  but  Miss  Ellen  took  it  from  her  trem- 
bling hands. 

"  Grandma,"  she  said,  "  would  you  be  surprised  to  hear  bad 
news  this  morning  ?" 

"  Why,  I  don't  know,"  said  the  old  lady. 


264  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

"  Well,  I  should  not,"  said  Mrs.  Larabee ;  "  I  have  been  fear- 
ing and  expecting  all  the  morning." 

"  Grandma,"  said  Ellen,  "  there  is  sad  news." 

"  Is  he  dead  ?"  asked  the  old  lady  tremulously. 

"He  is." 

The  quick  tears  started  in  the  sensitive  eyes.  There  was  a 
violent  paroxysm  of  grief.  No  expression  of  frenzy  told  of  the 
anguish  within. 

"  Is  it  true  ?"  she  asked  with  quivering  lips.  "  Then  the  Lord 
help  me,  for  if  he  is  dead  what  shall  I  do  ?" 

She  was  rendered  weak  and  a  little  nervous  by  the  announce- 
ment, and  was  obliged  once  or  twice  to  repair  to  her  room, 
where  in  solitude  she  might  begin  to  comprehend  the  awful 
truth ;  but  she  was  not  content  to  remain  there,  and  soon  re- 
turned to  the  sitting-room. 

About  half-past  9  o'clock  Mrs.  Garfield  was  found  sitting 
in  a  rocking-chair  waiting  for  news.  The  morning  paper  she 
read  with  eagerness.  "  It  cannot  be  that  James  is  dead,"  she 
muttered.  "I  cannot  understand  it.  I  have  no  further  wish  to 
live,  and  I  cannot  live  if  it  is  so."  Although  her  general  health 
is  good  at  present,  many  fear  that  her  words  are  prophetic,  and 
Mrs.  Larabee  dares  not  hope  otherwise  herself.  But  feeling 
keenly  as  she  does  her  great  affliction,  never  once  has  she  hinted 
at  a  lack  of  faith  in  the  Supreme  One  thaf  all  is  not  intended 
for  the  best. 

"  It  is  providential,"  she  said.  "  I  can  firmly  believe  that  God 
knows  best,  and  I  must  not  murmur." 

The  writer  visited  the  aged  mother  of  the  dead  President  at 
her  humble  home  near  Solon.  It  is  an  unpretentious  little 
home,  provided  by  the  kindness  of  the  dead  President,  for  it  is 
no  sin  to  remind  the  American  people,  who  mourn  the  loss  of 
this  great-hearted  and  great-brained  ruler,  that  all  his  kindred 
are  poor.  Not  one  is  above  daily  toil,  and,  except  for  the  pro- 
motions of  the  past  few  years,  it  is  doubtful  whether  even  he 
would  have  been.  It  does  not  seem  to  be  any  part  of  the  Gar- 
field  family  training  or  inclination  to  be  money-getters.  The 
little  house  is  built  upon  the  ground,  being  only  a  story  and  a 
half  high.  Two  lines  of  great  apple-trees  guard  the  walk  from 
the  gate  through  the  hedge  up  to  the  parlor  door.  To-day  the 
little  room  seemed  hung  in  mourning  by  the  looks  of  all  who 
were  about  it,  A  few  cut  flowers  which  grew  U-  the  garden 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  265 

near  by  \rere  in  a  glass  dish  upon  the  table,  and  to  the  right 
upon  another  little  table  sitting  against  the  wall  large  and  excel- 
lent photographs  of  Garfield  and  Arthur  sat  side  by  side.  On 
the  opposite  wall  hung  an  engraving  of  Garfield  as  a  boy,  sol- 
dier, and  President.  In  this  room  sat  General  Garfield's  aged 
mother  and  Mrs.  Larabee,  her  daughter,  as  well  as  Mrs.  Lara- 
bee's  youngest  daughter.  The  aged  mother  seemed  much  de- 
pressed with  her  great  sorrow,  but  bore  up  bravely. 

"  I  am  starting  upon  my  eighty-first  year  to-day,"  said  she, 
"  and  it  may  be  my  last.  This  is  a  terrible  sorrow,  a  fearful 
affliction  for  me  to  bear,  but  doubtless  God  knew  best  when  to 
take  him.  He  was  the  best  son  a  mothej  «ver  had — so  good, 
kind,  generous,  and  brave.  If  he  had  to  die,  why  didn't  God 
take  him  without  all  the  terrible  suffering  he  endured?  I  sup- 
pose I  ought  to  think  that  it  is  for  the  best,  and  yet  I  cannot. 
He  had,  I  know,  fulfilled  the  full  measure  of  his  ambition.  He 
had  reached  the  highest  place  in  the  regard  of  his  country- 
men." 

"  Did  you  ever  see  such  an  uprising  ?"  she  said  eagerly. 
"  That  ought  to  break  the  fall  for  me,  but  it  doesn't  seem  to. 
I  want  my  boy.  It  seems  so  hard,  too,  that  we  could  not  have 
been  with  him  in  his  dying  hours.  There  are  his  sisters,  who 
played  with  him  in  his  childhood,  and  who  loved  him  as  I  did. 
It  seems  so  hard  that  he  should  die  away  from  us." 

As  if  gathering  hope  for  the  future,  the  courageous  and  lov- 
ing mother,  long  past  the  allotted  time  of  man  or  woman  in 
years,  added,  "  I  cannot  last  long,  and  the  other  world  will  be 
brighter  for  his  presence."  Referring  to  the  place  of  his  burial 
she  said :  "  It  is  proper  that  he  should  be  buried  in  Cleveland. 
It  is  the  capital  of  the  county  in  which  he  was  born  and  of  the 
section  where  he  grew  into  prominence.  Mentor  had  been  his 
home  but  a  short  time,  although  he  had  intended  it  should  be 
the  balance  of  his  life.  Most  of  his  years  have  been  spent  at 
Solon  and  Orange,  and  it  seems  best  that  his  final  resting-place 
should  be  near  the  places  that  he  loved  best." 

The  brave  old  lady  often  trembled  with  emotion  while  talk- 
ing thus  pathetically  of  her  distinguished  son.  He  seemed  to 
fill  her  whole  heart,  and  she  never  tired,  she  said,  even  in  her 
affliction,  of  seeing  people  who  knew  him  and  would  talk  to  her 
about  him.  "It  is  wonderful,"  said  she,  "how  I  live  upon 
thoughts  of  him.  I  ride  a  little  every  day  to  get  the  fresh  air 
12 


266  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 

and  look  at  the  fields  and  places  he  loved  so  well.  I  am  so 
glad  you  have  been  over  to  the  old  homestead.  He  loved  every 
foot  of  it.  He  and  his  brother  built  the  frame  house  for  me 
near  the  well  where  the  pole  has  been  erected.  It  was  rude 
carpentering,  indeed,  but  they  both  took  their  first  lessons  in  it, 
and  I  always  loved  the  old  home.  It  was  burned  after  we  left 
it.  I  am  very  glad  you  saw  Henry  Boynton.  He  and  James 
were  such  ardent  friends.  He  knows  all  about  his  early  life 
and  struggles.  The  whole  people  are  helping  me  to  bear  this 
terrible  affliction.  I  am  getting  the  kindest  and  most  affection- 
ate letters  and  telegrams  from  all  sections  of  the  country." 

It  is  really  surprising  to  see  how  the  hearts  of  the  people, 
especially  in  the  West,  have  turned  from  mourning  over  the 
dead  to  giving  sympathy  to  the  living.  A  whole  bundle  of  let- 
ters and  telegrams  lay  in  the  President's  mother's  lap,  breathing 
in  tenderest  terms  the  most  hearty  sympathy  for  her  in  her  be- 
reavement. From  the  presence  of  the  mother  to  the  village 
graveyard  I  passed,  as  soon  as  a  walk  of  half  a  mile  would 
bring  me  there,  and  within  a  few  feet  of  the  main  gate  for  foot 
travellers  I  saw  the  grave  of  the  President's  father.  He  had 
his  body  disinterred  some  years  since  from  its  resting-place  upon 
the  farm  at  Orange  and  brought  to  this  little  village  churchyard 
almost  under  the  shadow  of  the  Disciples'  church.  A  plain 
marble  slab  marks  the  spot  where  his  remains  lie.  It  bears  the 
inscription,  "  Abram  Garfield.  Died  May  3, 1833,  aged  33."  A 
cloud  of  creeping  myrtle  covers  the  ground  and  a  Norway  pine 
stands  guard  over  the  grave.  In  the  other  end  of  the  town  is 
the  little  church  of  the  Disciples,  steepleless  and  decaying,  where 
General  Garfield  used  to  preach. 

ELBERON,  Sept.  20. — The  sun's  face  wore  a  deep  coppery 
tint  as  he  looked  up  over  the  waters  this  morning,  and  threw  his 
earliest  rays  upon  the  closed  shutters  of  the  cottage  of  death. 
The  wind,  which  for  a  week  had  been  coming  from  seaward 
and  at  times  blew  a  gale,  came  now  from  the  west  and  was 
hushed  to  a  gentle  zephyr.  The  billows  which  for  days  had 
lashed  the  sands  in  anger  now  murmured  softly  of  that  eternity 
of  which  they  were  the  fittest  symbol.  The  sky  was  cloudless, 
but  a  mellow  haze  hung  over  the  ocean,  obliterating  the  horizon 
line  and  blending  sea  and  sky  in  one.  A  single  craft,  miles  dis- 
tant, floating  as  it  seemed  upon  nothing,  like  a  soul  just  parted 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  267 

from  time,  was  making  its  slow  way  with  all  sails  set  to  catch 
the  breeze  toward  the  north. 

At  the  cottage  the  quiet  of  death  prevailed.  At  a  little  dis- 
tance, on  all  sides,  armed  sentinels  with  fixed  bayonets  paced 
their  beats  in  silence,  guardians  as  it  seemed  of  that  border  line 
between  now  and  hereafter,  beyond  which  the  living  might  never 
pass.  The  flag,  which  since  the  arrival  of  the  President  at  El- 
beron  has  been  floating  from  a  pole  thrust  out  of  an  upper  win- 
dow of  the  cottage,  was  draped  with  black,  but  beyond  this  no 
outward  sign  of  mourning  was  apparent.  The  first  comers  were 
the  journalists,  but  in  their  demeanor  the  customary  eagerness 
of  competition  was  not  apparent.  Fifty  million  people  would 
before  night  read  the  truths  they  had  come  to  gather,  but  their 
subject  of  inquiry  was  death  and  mourning,  and  decorous  pro- 
priety befitting  the  occasion  was  always  to  be  respected. 

By  half-past  seven  a  dozen  people  had  gathered  in  groups 
upon  the  porches  of  the  hotel.  Doctors  Bliss,  Hamilton,  and 
Agnew  were  in  consultation  at  that  portion  of  the  hotel  nearest 
the  cottage  where  lay  the  remains  of  the  man  who  had  been  for 
eleven  weeks  the  object  of  their  solicitude  and  skill.  They 
talked  of  the  events  of  the  night  just  past,  and  of  the  nights  and 
days  which  had  preceded  it.  They  talked  of  the  coming  autop- 
sy, and  agreed  that  it  should  be  postponed  until  the  arrival  in 
the  afternoon  of  their  Washington  associates  in  the  medical 
councils  upon  the  case. 

Dr.  Bliss  said  in  regard  to  the  immediate  cause  of  the  Presi- 
dent's death  that  he  believed  it  resulted  from  the  coagulation 
of  blood,  which  the  heart  in  its  enfeebled  condition  was  unable 
to  force  off.  General  Swaim,  he  said,  had  evidently  not  at 
first  fully  appreciated  the  imminence  of  the  crisis,  but  had 
called  Dr.  Bliss  immediately.  "  I  stepped  in  at  once,"  said  the 
Doctor,  "  and  as  a  ray  of  light  fell  across  the  invalid's  face  I 
said,  *  My  God  !  he  is  dying.  Send  for  Mrs.  Garfield.'  It  was 
virtually  a  painless  death.  He  suffered  at  first,  but  unconscious- 
ness came,  and  with  that  his  sufferings  were  at  an  end." 

At  half-past  ten  Secretaries  Windom,  Kirkwood,  and  Hunt, 
and  Postmaster-General  James  arrived  at  Elberon,  and  were  in- 
vited at  once  to  the  Attorney-General's  cottage,  situated  about 
as  far  to  the  northeast  of  the  hotel  as  the  Francklyn  cottage  in 
which  the  dead  President  lay  is  to  the  southeast.  There  they 
remained  during  the  forenoon  discussing  the  details  of  the 


268  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF* 

events  which  had  just  transpired,  in  which  they  were  all  so 
deeply  interested.  A  half-hour  later  General  Grant,  with  his  son 
and  a  friend,  drove  up,  and  the  ex-President  spent  an  hour  in 
gathering  information  of  the  last  hours  of  President  Garfield. 

Meanwhile  the  undertaker  and  his  assistants  had  arrived  and 
were  preparing  the  body  of  the  President  for  embalmment  and 
burial.  The  body  showed  the  loss  of  flesh  to  a  degree  painful 
to  look  upon.  Only  the  face  preserved  anything  like  the  ap- 
pearance when  in  health.  The  beard  in  a  measure  contributed 
to  this,  serving  to  conceal  the  hollowness  of  the  cheeks.  The 
body  was  laid  upon  rubber  cloths  placed  upon  the  floor  to  await 
the  autopsy,  which  lasted  about  three  and  a  half  hours.  One  of 
the  gentlemen  present  makes  the  following  statement  in  regard 
to  it: 

The  ball  was  not  found  until  the  various  parts  of  the  abdo- 
men were  explored  and  cut  asunder.  The  ball  in  its  course 
broke  the  eleventh  rib,  fractured  the  spinal  column,  but  did  not 
touch  the  spinal  cord.  It  lodged  two  and  a  half  or  three  inches 
directly  to  the  left  of  the  spinal  column  in  the  mesentery.  The 
channel  which  has  hitherto  been  supposed  to  be  the  track  of 
the  ball  proved  to  be  a  pus  cavity  formed  by  the  burrowing  of 
the  pus  downward. 

The  catheter  which  was  always  used  by  the  surgeons  is  believed 
to  have  bent  upon  itself,  deceiving  the  surgeons  in  regard  to 
the  real  depth  of  the  wound.  There  was  a  large  abscess  be- 
tween the  liver  and  the  gall-duct,  which  according  to  the  same 
authority  was  metastatic.  This  abscess  was  not  connected  with 
the  track  of  the  wound  or  the  channel  formed  by  burrowing. 
On  each  of  the  kidneys  was  a  small  abscess.  The  lungs,  espe- 
cially the  right  one,  were  badly  diseased.  A  large  amount  of 
pus  flowed  freely  from  the  bronchial  tubes,  while  by  cutting  into 
the  tubes  a  considerable  amount  of  pus  was  discovered  in  little 
metastatic  abscesses;  there  was  purulent  infiltration,  of  both 
lungs.  This  pus  was  healthy.  There  were  no  abscesses  in  the 
liver  itself,  but  those  in  the  kidneys  were  metastatic  or  pyffimic. 
There  were  adhesions  of  the  lungs  to  the  chest-wall  at  the  upper 
part  of  each  lung,  showing  a  previous  pleurisy ;  whether  it  ante- 
dated the  shooting  the  examination  did  not  show.  The  intes- 
tines were  very  adherent  one  to  another,  showing  the  existence 
of  former  peritonitis.  The  abscess  in  the  right  kidney  was  not 
opened.  The  rigors  from  which  the  President  has  been  suffer- 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  369 

ing  for  a  few  days  were  probably  caused  by  the  abscesses  be- 
tween the  liver  and  the  gall-duct. 

The  following  official  bulletin  was  prepared  by  the  surgeons 
who  were  in  attendance  upon  the  late  President: 

By  previous  arrangement  a  post-mortem  examination  of  the 
body  of  President  Garfield  was  made  this  afternoon  in  the  pres- 
ence and  with  the  assistance  of  Drs.  Hamilton,  Agnew,  Bliss, 
Barnes,  Woodward,  Reyburn,  Andrew  H.  Smith,  of  Elberon, 
and  Acting  Assistant-Surgeon  D.  S.  Lamb,  of  the  Army  Medi- 
cal Museum  of  Washington.  The  operation  was  performed  by 
Dr.  Lamb.  It  was  found  that  the  ball,  after  fracturing  the  right 
eleventh  rib,  had  passed  through  the  spinal  column  in  front  of 
the  spinal  cord,  fracturing  the  body  of  the  first  lumbar  vertebra, 
driven  a  number  of  small  fragments  of  bone  into  the  adjacent 
soft  parts,  and  lodging  below  the  pancreas,  about  two  inches  and 
a  half  to  the  left  of  the  spine,  and  behind  the  peritoneum,  where 
it  had  become  completely  encysted. 

The  immediate  cause  of  death  was  secondary  hemorrhage 
from  one  of  the  mesenteric  arteries  adjoining  the  track  of  the 
ball,  the  blood  rupturing  the  peritoneum,  and  nearly  a  pint  es- 
caping into  the  abdominal  cavity.  This  hemorrhage  is  believed 
to  have  been  the  cause  of  the  severe  pain  in  the  lower  part  of 
the  chest  complained  of  just  before  death.  An  abscess  cavity, 
six  inches  by  four  in  dimensions,  was  found  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  gall  bladder,  between  the  liver  and  the  transverse  colon, 
which  were  strongly  adherent.  It  did  not  involve  the  substance 
of  the  liver,  and  no  communication  was  found  between  it  and 
the  wound. 

A  long  suppurating  channel  extended  from  the  external 
wound,  between  the  loin  muscles  and  the  right  kidney,  almost 
to  the  right  groin.  This  channel,  now  known  to  be  due  to  the 
burrowing  of  pus  from  the  wound,  was  supposed  during  life  to 
have  been  the  track  of  the  ball. 

On  an  examination  of  the  organs  of  the  chest  evidences  of 
severe  bronchitis  were  found  on  both  sides,  with  broncho- 
pneumonia  of  the  lower  portions  of  the  right  lung,  and,  though 
to  a  much  less  extent,  of  the  left.  The  lungs  contained  no 
abscesses,  and  the  heart  no  clots.  The  liver  was  enlarged  and 
fatty,  but  not  from  abscesses.  Nor  were  any  found  in  any 
other  organ  except  the  left  kidney,  which  contained  near  its 
surface  a  small  abscess  about  one  third  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 


270  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

In  reviewing  the  history  of  the  case  in  connection  with  the 
autopsy,  it  is  quite  evident  that  the  different  suppurating  sur- 
faces, and  especially  the  fractured,  spongy  tissue  of  the  ver- 
tebrse,  furnish  a  sufficient  explanation  of  the  septic  condition 
which  existed. 

D.  W.  BLISS,  FRANK  H.  HAMILTON, 

J.  K.  BARNES,  D.  HAYES  AGNEW, 

J.  J.  WOODWARD,  ANDREW  H.  SMITH, 

ROBERT  REYBURN,  D.  S.  LAMB. 

THE     FINAL    SCENE    AT    ELBERON RELIGIOUS     SERVICES     IN    THE 

COTTAGE DEPARTURE    OF    THE    CORTEGE    FOR 

WASHINGTON. 

The  slow,  solemn  tolling  of  a  church  bell  the  next  morning 
was  the  only  sound  that  broke  the  hush  that  had  fallen  upon 
Elberon  when  the  heart  of  the  chief  stopped  beating.  There 
was  no  military  ceremony,  no  dirge  save  that  of  the  breakers 
hard  by,  no  pomp,  no  display  of  any  kind,  and  the  mono- 
syllabic clanging  of  the  bell  seemed  like  a  mournful  repetition 
of  the  one  word,  "Dead."  All  was  as  plain  as  befitted  the 
character  of  the  man  and  the  office  he  had  held. 

Early  in  the  twilight  the  military  guard  was  doubled  around 
the  cottage  where  lay  all  that  was  mortal  of  the  late  President. 
A  notice  had  been  issued  the  night  before  that  the  people 
would  be  admitted  to  see  the  body  at  an  early  hour,  and  the 
notice  not  only  brought  hundreds  from  the  immediate  vicinity, 
but  many  from  considerable  distances.  The  lawn  around  the 
cottage  was  thronged  as  early  as  7  o'clock,  and  by  half-past 
8  there  were  probably  three  thousand  persons  standing  look- 
ing at  the  cottage  door  and  waiting  for  the  moment  when  they 
could  enter.  At  half-past  8  the  word  was  given,  and  from 
the  crowd  which  had  been  kept  at  a  distance  to  the  steps  of  the 
house  a  line  was  formed  between  sentries. 

VIEWING    THE    PRESIDENT'S    REMAINS. 

One  by  one  the  people  entered  and  passed  into  the  room  on 
the  southwest  corner  on  the  ground  floor.  In  the  centre  of  the 
room  stood  the  coffin  in  which  the  body  had  been  placed. 
The  casket  was  a  perfectly  plain  one,  covered  with  black  cloth, 
the  only  ornaments  being  the  heavy  silver  bars  that  run  along 


PRESIDENT  QARFIELD.  271 

the   sides   and  the   silver  plate  having  the  following  inscrip- 
tion : 


JAMES  ABRAM  GARFIELD; 

Born  November  19,  1831. 
Died  President  of  the  United  States,  September  19,  1881. 


The  face  of  the  President  was  exposed  by  the  turning  down 
of  the  upper  part  of  the  coffin-lid.  It  was  terribly  changed 
from  its  appearance  before  his  illness,  so  much  so  that  very 
many  who  had  known  him  in  life  said  in  hushed  tones,  "  I 
would  not  recognize  him."  Not  only  was  the  emaciation 
appalling,  but  the  lines  drawn  by  suffering  were  graven  in  his 
face  until  it  was  haggard  beyond  description.  It  is  said  that 
he  had  fallen  away  almost  two  fifths  of  his  usual  weight,  and  it 
was  easy  to  believe  this  from  the  appearance  of  the  face.  No 
sign  was  visible  of  the  affection  of  the  parotid  gland,  the  beard 
being  so  arranged  as  to  cover  the  scar.  There  was  some  dis- 
coloration noticeable  on  the  face,  but  this  was  not  altogether 
the  mark  of  death.  A  plaster  cast  of  his  face  had  been  taken, 
and  the  oil  applied  to  the  skin  had  slightly  stained  it.  His  left 
hand  lay  across  his  breast  in  a  position  that  was  said  to  be 
habitual  with  him  in  life.  His  right  hand  lay  down  at  his  side. 
He  was  dressed  in  the  suit  of  clothes  which  he  wore  when  he 
was  inaugurated  as  President  last  March.  The  clothes  had 
fitted  him  then,  and  not  all  the  art  of  the  undertaker  could 
make  them  look  to-day  as  if  they  had  been  made  for  him. 


RELIGIOUS    SERVICES. 


There  was  a  conspicuous  absence  of  floral  adorning.  A 
"  V  "  was  formed  of  two  palm  branches  placed  upon  the  coffin. 
It  was  the  emblem  as  well  as  the  initial  of  the  victory  he  had 
achieved.  For  only  an  hour  were  the  people  admitted  to  view 
the  body.  At  half-past  9  o'clock  Chief  Justice  Waite, 
Secretary  and  Mrs.  Blaine,  Secretary  and  Mrs.  Windom,  Secre- 
tary and  Mrs.  Hunt,  Postmaster-General  and  Mrs.  James, 
Secretaries  Lincoln  and  Kirkwood,  and  Attorney-General 
MacVeagh  arrived  at  the  Francklyn  cottage,  and  the  doors 
were  closed.  In  addition  to  the  Cabinet  officers  and  their 
wives  there  were  present  only  the  members  of  the  family  and 


272  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

attendants  and  a  few  personal  friends,  numbering  in  all  not 
more  than  fifty  individuals  when  the  religious  services  began. 
At  Mrs.  Garfield's  request  the  Rev,  Mr.  Young,  the  pastor  of 
the  Presbyterian  church  of  Long  Branch,  conducted  these 
services.  He  had  been  requested  by  Colonel  Rockwell,  on 
account  of  the  brevity  of  the  time  at  command,  to  occupy  no 
more  than  five  minutes.  He  read  the  following  passages  from 
the  book  of  Revelation  and  the  Epistles  to  the  Corinthians : 

"  '  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord.  Yea,  saith  the 
Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors ;  and  their  works  do 
follow  them.  We  know  that  if  our  earthly  house  of  this  taber- 
nacle were  dissolved,  we  have  a  building  of  God,  a  house  not 
made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens.  Therefore  we  are 
always  confident,  knowing  thr,t  while  we  are  at  home  in  the 
body  we  are  absent  from  the  Lord.  We  are  confident,  I  say, 
and  willing  rather  to  be  absent  from  the  body  and  to  be  present 
with  the  Lord.  For  to  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain.  I 
am  in  a  strait  betwixt  two,  having  a  desire  to  depart  and  to  be 
with  Christ,  which  is  far  better;  there  the  wicked  cease  from 
troubling,  and  the  weary  are  at  rest.  And  there  shall  be  no 
more  death,  neither  sorrow,  nor  crying,  neither  shall  there  be 
any  more  pain.  And  there  shall  be  no  night  there ;  and  they 
need  no  candle,  neither  light  of  the  sun ;  for  the  Lord  God  giveth 
them  light :  and  they  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever.  Behold,  I 
show  you  a  mystery ;  we  shall  not  all  sleep,  but  we  shall  all  be 
changed,  in  a  moment,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  at  the  last 
trump.  For  this  corruptible  must  put  on  incorruption,  and  this 
mortal  must  put  on  immortality.  So  when  this  corruptible  shall 
have  put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal  shall  have  put  on 
immortality,  then  shall  be  brought  to  pass  the  saying  that  is 
written,  Death  is  swallowed  up  in  victory.  O  death,  where  is 
thy  sting  ?  O  grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?  The  sting  of  death 
is  sin  ;  and  the  strength  of  sin  is  the  law.  But  thanks  be  to 
God,  who  giveth  us  the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.' 
Let  us  pray." 

After  reading  these  passages  he  offered  the  following 
prayer : 

"  O  Thou  who  walked  through  the  grave  of  Bethany,  that  open 
grave  of  the  brother  in  Bethany !  O  Thou  who  hadst  compas- 
sion on  the  widow  of  Nain  as  she  bore  her  beloved  dead  !  O 
Thou  who  art  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever,  in  whom 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  273 

is  no  variableness  nor  shadow  of  turning,  have  mercy  upon  us 
at  this  hour,  when  our  souls  have  nowhere  else  to  fly !  But  we 
fly  to  Thee.  Thou  knowest  these  sorrows  that  we  bow  under. 
0  thou  God  of  the  widow,  help  this  stricken  heart  before  Thee. 
Help  these  children  and  those  that  are  not  here.  Be  their 
father.  Help  her  in  the  distant  State  who  watched  over  him 
in  childhood.  Help  this  nation  that  is  to-day  bleeding  and 
bowed  before  Thee.  Oh !  sanctify  this  heavy  chastisement  to 
its  good.  Help  those  associated  with  him  in  the  government. 
0  Lord,  grant  from  the  darkness  of  this  night  of  sorrow  there 
may  arise  a  better  day  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of 
man.  We  thank  Thee  for  the  record  of  the  life  that  is  closed 
for  its  heroic  devotion  to  principle.  We  thank  Thee,  O  Thou 
Lord,  that  he  was  Thy  servant,  that  he  preached  Thee,  Thy 
noble  life  and  example,  and  that  we  can  say  of  him  now, 
"  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord,  their  works  do 
follow  them."  Now,  Lord,  go  with  this  sorrowing  company  in 
this  last  sad  journey.  Go,  bear  them  up  and  strengthen  them. 
O  God,  bring  us  all  at  last  to  the  morning  that  has  no  shadow, 
the  home  that  has  no  tears,  the  land  that  has  no  death,  for 
Christ's  sake.  Amen." 

All  had  been  made  ready  for  the  departure,  which  occurred 
immediately  after  the  religious  services.  The  special  train 
which  was  to  convey  the  remains  with  their  escort  to  Washing- 
ton had  been  backed  up  on  the  track  that  was  laid  so  short  a 
time  ago  to  bring  the  President  to  the  seashore.  It  was  com- 
posed of  an  engine,  a  baggage  car,  the  funeral  car,  the  private 
car  of  President  Roberts,  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  and  a 
car  for  the  attendants.  After  all  the  luggage  had  been  put 
on  board,  the  coffin  was  carried  by  the  undertaker's  assistants 
into  the  funeral  car.  This  had  been  draped  in  mourning  and 
lined  on  the  side  and  on  the  ceiling  with  black  cloth.  Near  the 
ceiling  a  line  of  festooned  flags  had  been  made  and  the  chande- 
liers were  draped  with  serge.  The  coffin  was  placed  in  the  cen- 
tre of  the  car  on  a  low  platform  that  had  been  prepared,  and  the 
twelve  soldiers  who  composed  the  guard  of  honor  took  their 
places  around  it.  Mrs.  Garfield,  heavily  veiled,  was  escorted  to 
her  car,  into  which  went  also  Harry  Garfield,  Miss  Mollie  Gar- 
field,  Colonel  Swaim,  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Rockwell,  Miss  Lulu 
Rockwell,  Dr.  Boynton,  and  Mr.  C.  0.  Rockwell.  In  the  next 
coach  were  the  members  of  the  Cabinet  and  their  wives,  and  in 
13* 


274  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

the  next  were  Private  Secretary  J.  Stanley  Brown,  Colonel 
H.  C.  Corbin,  Executive  Clerk  Warren  S.  Young,  Mr.  John 
Jameson,  Mr.  J.  R.  Van  Wormer,  Mr.  Ridgely  Hunt,  the  son  of 
Secretary  Hunt;  Mr.  C.  F.  James,  the  son  of  the  Postmaster- 
General;  Secretary  Lincoln's  private  secretary,  Mr.  Jay  Stone, 
and  the  personal  attendants  upon  the  President  and  Mrs.  Garfield. 

PRESIDENT  ARTHUR  AND  GENERAL  GRANT. 

The  crowd  of  people  on  the  lawn  had  been  gently  pushed 
back  by  the  soldiers  after  the  house  was  closed,  but  all  stood 
waiting  to  see  the  train  start.  The  tolling  of  the  church  bcli 
was  still  the  only  sound,  but  at  exactly  10  o'clock  the  engineer 
rang  his  bell  once  and  the  train  started  very  slowly.  In  a  little 
less  than  ten  minutes  it  stopped  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of 
the  Elberon  station,  where  it  met  the  .special  train  that  had 
brought  President  Arthur  and  ex-President  Grant  from  New 
York.  Here  another  guard  of  soldiers  had  been  stationed  to 
keep  back  the  crowd  that  had  gathered  there,  and  General 
Arthur  and  General  Grant  stepped  across  from  one  train  to 
the  other  and  entered  the  car  where  the  members  of  the  Cabi- 
net sat.  As  the  funeral  train  started  again  it  was  noticed  that 
the  new  President  was  talking  earnestly  with  Mr.  Elaine. 

In  less  than  one  hour  it  could  hardly  have  been  told  that  such 
scenes  had  been  around  the  cottage.  The  great  crowd  melted 
away  in  silence.  No  one  at  all  remained  excepting  the  perma- 
nent residents,  the  hotel  people,  and  the  servants.  The  cottage 
had  been  locked  at  once  upon  the  exit  of  the  funeral  party.  The 
keys  were  given  to  Mr.  Jones,  at  the  hotel,  with  Mr.  Francklyn's 
peremptory  order  that  no  one  should  be  admitted  excepting  his 
own  servants.  The  smooth  lawn  that  is  the  pride  of  the  place 
has  been  trampled  and  disfigured  in  the  last  two  weeks,  and  little 
paths  are  worn  here  and  there  by  the  footprints  of  the  sentries 
and  messengers.  The  excitement  and  the  crowds  have  robbed 
the  place  of  the  elegant  neatness  which  was  its  characteristic, 
and  which  it  will  take  time  and  great  pains  to  restore. 

THE    JOURNEY    TO    WASHINGTON RECEPTION    OF   THE    REMAINS 

AT    THE    NATIONAL    CAPITAL. 

It  was  precisely  five  minutes  to  10  o'clock  when  the  funeral 
train  started  from  in  front  of  the  Francklyn  cottage  at  Elberon. 
Five  minutes  later  it  had  traversed  the  line  of  track  which  two 


PRESIDENT  GABFIELD.  275 

weeks  ago  had  been  laid  down  by  the  Jersey  Central  Railroad 
to  convey  the  President  to  the  cottage  door.  Thence,  when 
General  Arthur  had  come  aboard  from  his  own  special  train, 
accompanied  by  General  Grant,  it  moved  slowly  to  the  south. 
It  passed  Elberon  station  proper  at  10.12,  and  at  10.16  passed 
through  Ocean  Grove  and  Asbury  Park.  There  were  gathered 
at  this  place  eight  or  ten  thousand  people.  The  men  stood  with 
uncovered  heads,  and  there  was  no  demonstration.  The  bells 
tolled  as  the  train  went  by. 

PROGRESS    OF    THE    TRAIN. 

No  stop  was  made  until  the  train  reached  Sea  Girt,  at  10.30. 
There  it  only  drew  up  to  leave  the  tracks  of  the  New  Jersey 
Central  road  and  turn  to  the  westward  over  the  line  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Company.  Sea  Girt  was  passed  at  10.30,  Farming- 
dale  at  10.37,  Freehold  at  10.56.  Monmouth  Junction,  forty-six 
miles  from  Elberon,  was  passed  at  11.26.  There  the  train 
entered  upon  the  tracks  of  the  direct  line  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  between  New  York  and  Philadelphia.  At  all  the 
places  mentioned  great  crowds  had  gathered,  and  the  same 
observance  of  the  requests  sent  out  to  the  people  was  noted. 
The  only  demonstration  of  any  kind  was  the  ringing  of  bells 
and  the  presence  in  silence  of  the  people. 

STREWING    THE    TRACK    WITH    FLOWERS. 

At  Princeton,  the  students  of  the  college,  two  miles  back 
over  the  bluff,  had  come  down  to  see  the  train  pass  by.  They 
brought  with  them  great  baskets  of  cut  roses  and  flowers,  and 
these  they  spread  over  the  tracks  of  the  railroad.  It  was 
strewn  for  several  hundred  yards  with  blossoms,  and  they  were 
able  to  pass  some  flowers  into  the  train  as  it  slacked  up  to 
receive  them.  Between  Princeton  and  Monmouth  Junction  the 
train  took  water  from  the  trough  between  the  tracks  without 
stopping.  The  run  from  there  to  Lamokin,  fourteen  miles  to 
the  northward,  was  made  without  incident. 

Trenton,  sixty-one  miles  from  Elberon,  was  passed  at  11.49, 
Norrisville  at  11.52,  Tullytown  at  midday,  and  Bristol  at  12.05. 
About  a  thousand  people  gathered  at  Bristol.  As  the  train 
passed  there  was  good  order,  and  the  crowd  was  very  quiet. 
Cornwall  was  passed  at  sixteen  minutes  after  12 ;  Holmes- 
burg  Junction  at  twenty-two  minutes  after  12;  Frankford, 


276  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

twenty-nine  minutes  after  12  ;  and  the  train  slowly  drew 
into  Philadelphia  at  forty-four  minutes  after  12.  Instead  of 
going  to  the  depot  it  was  switched  to  the  left  just  at  the  Callow- 
hill  Street  bridge,  and  pursued  its  course  rapidly  along  the 
Union  Railroad  that  leads  to  Gray's  Ferry,  which  is  the  junction 
of  the  Philadelphia,  Wilmington  and  Baltimore  line. 

AT    PHILADELPHIA. 

Great  crowds  gathered  all  along  the  four  or  five  miles  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railway  running  through  Philadelphia,  and  stood 
in  solemn  silence  awaiting  the  passage  of  the  train.  The  crowd 
was  not  made  up  of  ordinary  idle  spectators.  It  was  composed 
of  people  all  bearing  the  signs  of  sympathetic  grief  in  their 
countenances,  who  in  their  subdued  manner  and  ready  compli- 
ance with  police  orders  gave  some  token  of  the  deep  feeling  that 
existed.  At  sixteen  minutes  to  1  o'clock  the  funeral  train 
appeared  in  sight  of  the  West  Philadelphia  station  at  the  upper 
end  of  the  depot,  and  as  it  rapidly  approached  the  tunnel  the 
faint  tolling  of  the  State  House  bell  was  borne  on  the  air.  As 
the  solemn  tones  were  heard  and  the  train  came  nearer  the  offi- 
cers reverently  raised  their  hats,  an  example  which  was  followed 
by  the  male  spectators.  The  usually  noisy  street  became  quiet, 
nofra  train  was  in  motion  in  the  railroad  yard,  and  the  street 
cars  halted  while  the  sorrowful  cortege  passed  through  the  tun- 
nel. The  only  sound  to  be  heard  was  the  muffled  tolling  of 
many  bells. 

AT  GRAY'S  FERRY. 

A  crowd  not  quite  so  large  as  that  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  depot  was  assembled  about  the  Gray's 
Ferry  station,  where  the  train  was  to  stop.  Some  three  hundred 
people  were  stationed  on  the  wagon  bridge  over  the  railroad  and 
scattered  for  a  hundred  yards  along  the  track.  Sixty  police  of- 
ficers were  placed  along  the  platform  to  keep  £he  crowd  from 
pressing  forward.  The  heavily  draped  funeral  train  drew  slowly 
up  and  stopped  at  the  station.  The  officers  raised  their  hats  and 
the  crowd  became  stilled.  Senator  Jones,  of  Nevada,  who  had 
arrived  at  this  point  on  the  limited  express  a  few  moments  be- 
fore, took  his  place  in  the  car  containing  the  Cabinet  and  the 
train  moved  on. 


PRESIDENT  GAEFIELD. 


TIME    FROM    ELBERON. 

In  stopping  at  Philadelphia  the  train  had  been  one  hour  and 
fifty-two  minutes  from  Elberon.  When,  two  weeks  ago,  the  Presi- 
dent had  journeyed  to  Long  Branch  the  same  distance  was  cov- 
ered in  one  hour  and  thirty-seven  minutes.  The  train  left  Gray's 
Ferry  at  seven  minutes  to  1,  passed  Paschall  four  minutes 
later,  and  was  at  Chester  at  eight  minutes  after  1.  At  Lamo- 
kin  the  train  was  stopped  for  water  and  coal,  and  once  more 
was  on  its  way. 

AT   WILMINGTON. 

At  Wilmington  many  thousands  of  people  had  gathered, 
blocking  the  depot.  The  train  moved  slowly  through,  the  en- 
gine bell  being  rung  as  it  went,  as  if  in  unison  with  the  tone  of 
the  bells  of  the  church  spires  of  the  city.  Elkton  was  passed  at 
three  minutes  after  2  o'clock.  At  fifteen  minutes  past  3 
the  train  pulled  into  the  Charles  Street  station  at  Baltimore. 
The  usual  crowd  was  there  in  respectful  and  sad  silence.  Only 
a  brief  stop  was  made  here,  the  engineer  was  changed,  and  the 
train  was  once  more  on  its  way. 

The  run — forty  miles — was  made  in  an  hour  and  six  minutes 
to  Washington.  There  was  no  incident  of  any  sort.  The  peo- 
ple stood  at  the  depots,  the  church  bells  tolled,  and  the  flags  at 
half-mast  waved  their  mammoth  folds.  In  Baltimore  the  crowd 
was  perhaps  greater  than  at  any  other  point  along  the  line. 

ON   THE   ADVANCE    TRAIN. 

On  the  train  that  came  in  advance  of  the  funeral  train  was  the 
car  of  the  general  manager  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  Frank 
Thompson.  There  rode  with  him  to  Philadelphia  Drs.  Barnes, 
Woodward,  and  Lamb,  Mr.  George  W.  Childs  and  Mrs.  Childs. 
After  that  the  gentlemen  went  upon  the  limited  train,  and  the 
car  itself  was  detached  at  the  West  Philadelphia  station.  Among 
the  passengers  on  the  limited  train  were  George  Bliss,  District- 
Attorney  Rollins,  and  Senators  Kellogg  and  Jones.  The  latter, 
however,  as  stated,  dropped  off  the  limited  express  at  Gray's 
Ferry  and  continued  his  journey  by  boarding  the  funeral  train 
when  it  drew  up  at  that  station. 


278  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


RECEPTION    OF   THE    REMAINS. 

About  noon  the  crowd  began  to  assemble  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  Baltimore  and  Potomac  depot,  and  by  4  o'clock  there 
were  at  least  twenty -five  thousand  people,  including  the  military 
and  court  officials,  surrounding  the  depot.  The  military,  which 
began  to  arrive  at  3  o'clock,  formed  on  Sixth  Street,  fronting 
the  depot,  the  right  resting  at  the  corner  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue. 
A  few  minutes  before  4  o'clock  the  officers  of  the  army  and 
navy,  in  full-dress  uniform,  headed  by  General  Sherman  and 
staff,  proceeded  to  the  platform  of  the  car-shed,  drew  up  in  line, 
and  stood  ready  to  receive  the  train  when  it  arrived.  There 
were  present  General  W.  T.  Sherman,  Adjutant-General  Drum, 
who  superintended  the  forming  of  the  military ;  Generals  Mc- 
Keever,  Ruggles,  Sacket,  Baird,  Meigs,  Holabird,  Sawtell,  Card, 
and  Hazen ;  Paymaster-General  Brown,  Colonels  Curtis,  Nick- 
erson,  Goodfellow,  Barr,  Chandler,  Moore,  McClure,  and  Febiger ; 
Surgeons  Crane,  Swart,  and  Shufelt ;  General  MacFeely,Commis- 
sary-General  of  Subsistence;  Colonel  Gilman,  General  Parke, 
Colonels  Elliott,  Farquhar,  and  Adams,  and  a  number  of  captains 
and  first  and  second  lieutenants. 

The  navy  was  represented  by  Rear-Admiral  Nichols,  Commo- 
dores Earl,  English,  and  Wells ;  Commander  Picard,  Surgeon- 
General  Wales,  Paymaster-General  Cutter,  Chief  Engineer 
Shock,  Naval  Constructor  Easby,  Judge- Advocate  Remey,  Colo- 
nel McCawley,  commandant  of  marines  ;  Captains  De  Kraft,  Fil- 
lebrown,  Howison,  and  all  the  naval  officers  in  the  city.  Besides 
these  there  were  on  the  platform  Commissioners  Dent,  Morgan, 
and  Twining  ;  District- Attorney  Corkhill,  Assistant  Secretary  of 
State  Hitt,  Marshal  Henry,  Second  Assistant  Postmaster-Gen- 
eral Elmer,  a  number  of  other  prominent  officials,  and  a  few  news- 
paper correspondents. 

WAITING    THE    ARRIVAL. 

The  depot,  both  inside  and  out,  was  heavily  draped  with  black 
muslin,  and  the  hundreds  that  assembled  within  its  walls  spoke 
in  whispers  and  seemed  to  realize  the  sad  situation.  Outside 
the  crowd  was  as  orderly  and  quiet  as  could  be,  and  they  stood 
for  several  hours  without  causing  the  police  on  duty  any  annoy- 
ance. Ropes  were  stretched  along  the  curbing  to  prevent  the 
vast  multitudes  from  crowding  into  the  streets.  At  4  p.m. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  279 

the  limited  express  train  from  New  York  came  puffing  into  the 
depot,  and  many  mistook  it  for  the  Presidential  train.  This 
train  was  shortly  afterward  backed  out,  and  everything  was  put 
in  readiness  for  the  arrival  of  the  remains  of  President  Garfield 
and  his  grief-stricken  family. 

THE    ARRIVAL. 

At  exactly  twenty-eight  minutes  to  5  o'clock  the  train  bear- 
ing the  lifeless  body  of  the  late  President  glided  slowly  and 
solemnly  into  the  depot.  As  Mrs.  Garfield,  dressed  in  deep 
mourning,  appeared  at  the  door  every  head  inside  the  depot  was 
uncovered.  She  leaned  upon  the  arm  of  Secretary  Blaine  and 
her  elder  son,  Harry.  Behind  her  came  Miss  Mollie  Garfield,  ac- 
companied by  General  Swaim  and  Miss  Rockwell.  Mrs.  Garfield 
and  her  daughter,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  James  and  Mrs.  Mac- 
Yeagh,  were  driven  immediately  to  the  residence  of  the  Attor- 
ney-General. After  they  had  departed  the  rest  of  the  mourners 
left  the  car  and  proceeded  to  the  pavement,  when  Undertaker 
^Yilliam  Spear  provided  them  with  carriages.  The  first  carriage 
contained  ex-President  Grant,  Senator  Jones,  and  General  Beale. 
Following  the  ex-President's  carriage  came  President  Arthur, 
accompanied  by  Secretaries  Blaine  and  Windom  and  Chief  Justice 
Waite.  Next  came  Secretaries  Lincoln,  Hunt,  and  Kirkwood, 
and  Postmaster-General  James,  followed  by  Attorney-General 
MacYeagh,  Dr.  Boynton,  General  Swaim,  and  Colonel  Rockwell. 
The  last  carriage  contained  Private  Secretary  Brown,  Colonel 
Corbin,  C.  0.  Rockwell,  and  Warren  Young. 

THE  CASKET. 

After  they  had  been  placed  in  carriages  and  assigned  a  posi- 
tion in  the  line  of  procession  the  coffin  was  brought  out,  borne 
upon  the  shoulders  of  ten  sturdy  soldiers  of  Company  D,  First 
United  States  Artillery,  commanded  by  Second  Lieutenant 
Thomas  C.  Patterson,  and  was  placed  in  the  hearse,  which  was 
drawn  by  six  gray  horses,  their  harness  being  draped  with  crape. 
As  the  body-bearers  emerged  from  the  depot  every  head  in  the 
vicinity  was  again  uncovered  and  remained  so  until  the  remains 
were  placed  in  the  hearse  and  the  procession  moved  away  from 
the  depot.  The  United  States  Marine  Band,  stationed  opposite 
the  entrance,  meanwhile  played  the  beautiful  air  known  as 
"  Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee,"  in  such  an  impressive  and  solemn 


£80  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

strain  as  to  cause  tears  to  flow  from  the  eyes  of  the  thousand  of 
witnesses  to  this  touching  spectacle. 

PROCESSION    TO    THE  CAPITOL. 

Everything  being  in  readiness,  General  Ayers  in  command, 
the  solemn  procession  proceeded  to  the  Capitol  in  the  following 
order : 

Donch's  Band, 

Company  A,  Washington  Light  Infantry,  Colonel  W.  G.  Moore. 
TJnion  Veteran  Corps,  Captain  S.  E.  Thomason. 

Pistorio's  Band. 

National  Rifles,  Colonel  J.  O.  P.  Burnside. 
Washington  Light  Guard,  Lieutenant  F.  S.  Hodson. 
Capitol  City  Guards  (colored),  Captain  T.  S.  Kelley. 

Full  Marine  Band  and  Drum  Corps. 
Four  companies  United  States  Marines,  Colonel  C.  Or. 

McCawley. 

Second  Artillery  Band. 
Five  companies  of  Second   Artillery,  four  foot  and  one  light 

battery. 

General  Ayres. 

Washington  and   Columbia  Commanderies  Knights   Templar. 

The  first  carriage  contained  W.  S.  Spear,  the  undertaker;  then 
came  the  hearse,  with  the  body  bearers  walking  close  alongside. 
The  officers  of  the  army  on  the  right  and  the  navy  on  the  left 
formed  a  guard  of  honor,  after  which  came  the  President, 
Cabinet,  and  distinguished  mourners. 

ALONG    THE    ROUTE. 

The  sidewalks,  windows  and  housetops  along  the  entire  route 
of  the  funeral  procession  were  crowded  with  spectators,  who  re- 
mained with  uncovered  heads  until  the  entire  cortege  had  passed. 
A  more  solemn  sight  was  never  witnessed  in  Washington.  There 
was  not  the  slightest  indication  of  confusion  or  demonstration, 
and  not  a  sound  broke  the  stillness  which  prevailed,  except  oc- 
casionally a  smothered  sob  inspired  by  the  mournful  dirges  of 
the  bands  and  the  sad,  sorrowful  surroundings.  The  route  of 
the  funeral  procession  was  up  Sixth  Street  to  Pennsylvania  Ave- 
nue, thence  to  the  Capitol  by  way  of  the  south  w.ing,  thence  to 
the  east  front,  where  the  military  were  drawn  up  in  line,  the  right 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  281 

resting  on  the  Senate  side  and  the  left  resting  upon  the  House 
side.  As  the  funeral  cortege  approached  the  steps  leading  to 
the  rotunda,  directly  opposite  Greenough's  statue  of  Washing- 
ton, the  order  was  given  to  present  arms,  and  the  Marine  Band 
at  the  same  time  again  played  "  Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee." 
Almost  the  entire  assemblage,  which  at  this  time  was  estimated 
at  over  thirty  thousand,  was  moved  to  tears. 

LINES   FORMED. 

Just  before  the  cortege  approached  the  following  distinguished 
gentlemen  formed  themselves  into  two  lines  at  the  foot  of  the 
east  staircase,  that  the  sad  procession  might  pass  into  the  build- 
ing between  the  lines.  They  were :  Associate  Justices  Matthews 
and  Harlan,  ex-Justice  Strong,  Senators  Davis  of  West  Virginia, 
Ingalls  of  Kansas,  Garland  of  Arkansas,  Kellogg  of  Louisiana, 
Representatives  Townsend  of  Ohio,  Wilson  of  West  Virginia, 
Shelley  of  Alabama,  Thomas  of  Illinois,  J.  Randolph  Tucker 
of  Virginia,  TJrner  of  Maryland,  Phillips  of  Kansas,  and  also  Ser- 
geant-at-Arms  R.  J.  Bright  of  the  Senate,  Sergeant-at-Arms  of 
the  House  J.  G.  Thompson,  Clerk  of  the  House  George  M. 
Adams,  Doorkeeper  of  the  House  C.  W.  Fields,  Architect 
of  the  Capitol  Edward  Clark,  Official  Reporter  of  the  Senate 
Dennis  Murphy,  W.  S.  Roose  and  others. 

ENTERING     THE    CAPITOL. 

As  the  cortege  slowly  moved  up  the  grand  marble  stairway 
leading  to  the  bronzed  door  entrance  of  the  rotunda,  it  was  the 
most  pathetic  and  saddening  scene  that  those  present  had  ever 
looked  upon.  Very  few  dry  eyes  were  in  the  multitude,  and  a 
sea  of  sorrowing  faces  looked  upon  the  sight  with  suppressed 
emotion. 

Immediately  following  the  coffin  was  President  Arthur  and 
Secretary  Blaine,  arm  in  arm,  and  then  the  following  in  the 
order  named,  two  abreast :  Secretary  Windom  and  Chief-Jus- 
tice Waite,  Generals  Grant  and.  Beale,  Secretaries  Lincoln  and 
Hunt,  Secretary  Kirkwood  and  Postmaster-General  James,  At- 
torney-General MacVeagh,  Coionel  Rockwell  and  General  Swaim, 
Colonel  Corbin  and  Private  Secretary  Brown,  Dr.  Boynton  and 
William  S.  Roose,  Warren  S.  Young  and  Marshal  Henry,  Dis- 
trict-Attorney Corkhill  and  A.  A.  Adee,  Charles  A.  Benedict 
and  S.  W.  Rogers,  George  W.  Tinsdale  and  Major  Twining. 


282  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

Then  came  the  District  of  Columbia  Commissioners.  Bringing 
up  the  rear  were  the  army  and  naval  officers,  who  had  previously 
formed  lines  up  the  steps,  the  army  officers  on  the  right  and 
naval  officers  on  the  left.  The  coffin  was  slowly  placed  upon  the 
catafalque,  with  the  feet  of  the  corpse  pointing  to  the  east. 

LOOKING  AT    THE  DEAD. 

All  those  present  then  passed  in  single  file  upon  the  left  side 
of  the  catafalque,  stopping  a  moment  to  take  a  final  view  of  the 
features  of  the  dead  President.  The  lid  of  the  casket  when 
lifted  exposed  to  view  the  face  and  nearly  all  the  upper  portion 
of  the  body. 

CLOSE  OF  THE  CEREMONIES. 

As  the  funeral  attendants  and  others  viewed  the  remains  they 
passed  out  of  the  rotunda  through  the  door  by  which  they  en- 
tered. None  lingered  beyond  a  few  moments  by  the  coffin.  A 
few  minutes  after  the  dignitaries  passed  out  the  military  moved 
off  by  way  of  the  north  carriage-ways  of  the  Capitol  grounds, 
and  when  a  few  squares  had  been  traversed  up  Pennsylvania 
Avenue  the  procession  dispersed.  The  carriage  visitors  drove  to 
their  respective  domiciles  with  no  ceremony  or  regularity.  The 
crowd  was  not  long  in  departing,  and  the  first  ceremonies  at- 
tending the  lying  in  state  of  the  corpse  were  readily  performed. 

GUARD  OF    HONOR. 

At  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  surviving  comrades  of 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  all  of  whom  were  personal  friends 
of  the  late  President,  marched  into  the  rotunda,  headed  by 
General  T.  T.  Crittenden. 

WASHINGTON    IN    MOURNING    HABILIMENTS. 

The  city  looked  sad  in  its  black  decorations  and  the  whole 
community  seems  drowned  in  sorrow.  Pennsylvania  Avenue, 
from  the  eastern  branch  to  Georgetown  Heights,  a  distance  of 
five  miles,  presented  an  unbroken  line  of  mourning.  A  note- 
worthy feature  was  that  no  one  house  on  either  side  of  this  great 
distance  was  without  its  display  of  black  cloth.  Pictures  of  Gen- 
eral Garfield  bordered  in  mourning  were  hung  out  at  many  places. 
In  fact  the  entire  District  of  Columbia  was  draped  in  mourning. 
Thousands  and  thousands  of  yards  of  the  sombre  material  were 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  283 

visible  at  every  turn,  and  banners,  flags,  street  cars,  vehicles, 
awnings,  and  signs  were  trimmed  with  black  cambric.  A  more 
universal  display  of  grief  has  not  perhaps  been  seen  in  the  his- 
tory of  any  city  or  town  of  the  world.  Little  or  no  business 
was  transacted  either  of  a  public  or  local  nature,  and  the  public 
buildings  were  closed. 

THE  CAPITOL  BUILDING. 

The  Capitol  building  was  plainly  and  unostentatiously  deco- 
rated in  black.  Large  streamers  were  flowing  from  its  massive 
proportions  on  the  east  and  west  fronts,  and  at  the  north  and 
south  wings  the  pillars  were  wrapped  and  festooned,  and  the 
exterior  of  the  dome  was  encircled  at  proper  altitudes  with  the 
material  of  the  day.  The  grand  circular  colonnade  surrounding 
the  first  circuit  of  the  dome  was  heavily  draped,  although  it 
appeared  insignificant  when  viewed  from  the  plateau  so  far 
beneath  it.  Upon  the  interior  the  decorations  were  of  a  more 
extensive  character,  although,  of  course,  nothing  but  black 
figured  in  the  display.  The  Senate  Chamber  was  closed,  and 
no  attempt  made  to  decorate  it.  The  House  of  Representatives 
was  elaborately  draped.  The  desks  and  chairs  had  been  piled 
upon  either  side  the  aisle  leading  from  the  corridor  to  the 
Speaker's  desk.  The  paintings  on  the  walls  were  hung  in 
drapery,  and  large  black  streamers  reached  from  the  seats  in 
the  gallery,  falling  in  arches  over  the  doors  leading  from  the 
lobby  and  hat  rooms  into  the  floor  of  the  House.  Officials  of 
the  House  had  this  done  upon  their  own  responsibility.  However, 
the  House  and  Senate  wings  were  practically  shut  off  from  the 
rotunda  by  temporary  partitions,  covered  with  black  cloth, 
placed  across  the  north  and  south  doors  of  the  rotunda. 

THE  ROTUNDA. 

The  great  point  of  interest  was  the  rotunda,  where  the  body  of 
the  late  President  was  lying  in  state.  It  is  circular  in  shape,  is 
100  feet  in  diameter,  and  has  a  stone  flagging  pavement.  There 
are  four  Revolutionary  and  four  historical  oil  paintings,  cover- 
ing the  wall  a  few  feet  above  the  floor.  They  are  about  twelve 
by  twenty-eight  feet  in  size,  and  were  covered  at  the  top  with 
black  cloth,  the  ends  hanging  down  about  five  feet  below  the 
frames.  At  all  the  lower  corners  rosettes  were  attached  with 
graceful  streamers  floating  from  them.  Black  bands  and  fes- 


284  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 

toons  covered  the  inside  of  the  dome  at  each  of  the  projecting 
circuits.  The  four  doors  were  capped  and  girdled  in  folds  of 
crape.  The  east  door,  through  which  the  cortege  passed,  was 
more  elaborately  festooned  than  any  other  point. 

THE  CATAFALQUE. 

In  the  centre  of  the  rotunda  was  placed  the  catafalque,  which 
was  about  three  feet  above  the  floor.  It  is  the  same  one  that 
held  the  casket  incasing  the  remains  of  President  Lincoln,  and 
had  been  stowed  away  in  the  crypt  of  the  Capitol  for  the  past 
sixteen  years.  It  consists  of  a  platform  about  a  foot  high, 
twelve  feet  long,  and  six  feet  wide.  Upon  this  is  another  plat- 
form two  feet  high,  three  feet  wide,  and  nine  feet  long.  The 
lower  platform  was  covered  with  perfectly  black  Brussels  carpet. 
The  sides  and  ends  of  the  upper  platform  are  covered  with 
heavy  black  corded  silk.  Around  the  upper  edge  is  silk  fringe 
and  tassels  three  inches  long.  Over  this  and  midway  between 
the  top  of  the  catafalque  and  the  bottom  platform  are  two 
silver  mouldings  running  around  the  sides  and  ends.  The  top, 
upon  which  rested  the  coffin,  was  covered  with  black  cloth.  In 
viewing  the  remains  one  steps  upon  the  lower  platform,  which 
elevated  the  viewer  just  high  enough  to  get  a  complete  view  of 
the  face  of  the  President.  The  grand  allegorical  fresco,  by 
Brumidid,  in  the  crest  of  the  dome,  hung  over  the  catafalque 
200  feet  above,  like  a  picture  in  the  clouds. 

MEETING  OF  CABINET  MEMBERS. 

All  the  members  of  the  Cabinet  met  at  the  residence  of  Secre- 
tary Blaine,  and  the  conference,  which  was  held  with  closed 
doors,  continued  fully  an  hour.  Secretary  Windom  was  the 
first  to  leave,  and  was  followed  a  few  minutes  later  by  Attorney- 
General  MacVeagh  and  Postmaster-General  James.  The  latter 
was  asked  as  to  the  nature  of  the  meeting,  but  the  Attorney- 
General,  interrupting,  said : 

"  We  must  decline  to  say  anything  now.  We  have  too  much 
business  to  consider.  Our  meeting  at  Mr.  Elaine's  was  simply 
of  a  sociable  nature,  and  that  is  all  we  can  tell  you  about  the 
matter."  It  was  said  upon  good  authority,  however,  that  among 
the  topics  discussed  by  the  Cabinet  was  the  wording  of  certain 
dispatches  addressed  to  the  Governor  of  Ohio  and  the  Mayor  of 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  286 

Cleveland  relative  to  the  funeral  ceremonies  over  the  dead 
President. 


CROWDS    OF     PEOPLE     REVERENTLY    PASS    GAR- 
FIELD'S  BIER. 

REMARKABLE    ASSEMBLAGE    FILING     THROUGH     THE    ROTUNDA    OF 

THE    CAPITOL RICH    AND    POOR    PAYING    A    LAST     TRIBUTE    OF 

RESPECT THE    COFFIN    CLOSED    AT    NIGHTFALL    OWING    TO    DE- 
COMPOSITION. 

WASHINGTON,  Sept.  22. — The  scene  at  the  Capitol  to-day  was 
in  many  respects  the  most  remarkable  that  has  ever  been  wit- 
nessed in  the  United  States.  All  day  long  the  Capitol  and  its 
grounds  were  crowded  with  all  classes  of  people,  drawn  together 
by  the  profound  feeling  prevailing  in  reference  to  the  death  of 
the  late  President.  The  most  remarkable  feature  of  the  scene 
was  the  mixed  character  of  the  multitude  of  people  that  con- 
stantly poured  through  the  vast  rotunda  to  gaze  upon  the 
shrunken  and  emaciated  features  of  the  late  Chief  Magistrate, 
and  the  quiet  and  orderly  manner  in  which  this  multitude  con- 
ducted themselves.  The  East  Park,  beyond  the  line  of  people 
formed  for  admission  to  the  Capitol,  was  filled  with  vehicles  of 
every  description,  from  the  handsome  barouche  of  the  wealthy 
city  denizen  to  the  rough  market  cart  of  the  poor  colored 
fanners  of  Virginia  and  Maryland,  who  in  many  cases  brought 
their  entire  families  to  gaze  upon  the  face  of  the  dead  Presi- 
dent, and  whose  horses  and  mules  wore  harness  composed  for 
the  most  part  of  odd  leather  straps  taken  from  sets  of  harness 
long  ago  cast  aside  as  worthless  and  held  together  by  pieces  of 
rope  and  twine.  In  very  many  cases  the  harness  was  composed 
almost  entirely  of  ropes.  The  sorry-looking  vehicles  of  these 
people  and  their  still  more  sorry-looking  animals  stood  beside 
handsome  carriages  and  richly  caparisoned  horses.  For  once 
there  was  a  universal  feeling  prevailing  in  the  public  mind  and 
the  thoughts  of  all  classes  ran  in  the  same  direction.  The  rag- 
ged and  toil-stained  farm-hands  from  Virginia  and  Maryland 
and  the  colored  laborers  of  Washington  stood  side  by  side  with 
the  representatives  of  wealth  and  fashion,  patiently  waiting  for 
hours  beneath  the  sultry  September  sun  for  the  privilege  of 
gazing  for  a  minute  on  the  face  of  the  dead.  Pres\d.e.ut. 


286  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

All  through  Wednesday  night  and  to-day  this  heterogeneous 
mass  moved  slowly,  but  with  funereal  solemnity  and  regularity, 
through  the  Capitol.  A  double  line  of  people  extended  dowu 
the  broad  stone  steps  leading  to  the  east  entrance  of  the  build- 
ing, and,  after  winding  like  a  huge  serpent  about  the  open  space 
in  front  of  the  Capitol,  stretched  southward  across  the  boundary 
of  the  park  until  its  rear  end  was  invisible  from  the  bronze 
doors  through  which  its  advance  guard  was  constantly  disap- 
pearing without  visibly  reducing  its  dimensions.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  mixed  character  of  the  multitude  and  the  numbers  that 
composed  it,  there  was  no  disorder  or  confusion.  A  few  police- 
men wore  present  to  preserve  order  outside  the  building,  but 
their  services  were  not  required,  except  to  direct  people  to  the 
end  of  the  line. 

In  the  rotunda,  where  the  body  of  President  Garficld  is 
lying  in  state,  there  is  at  present  no  representative  of  the  civil 
or  military  power,  the  guard  being  composed  exclusively  of 
resident  members  of  tJie  old  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  of 
which  Gen.  Garfield  was  a  conspicuous  member,  and  who  ex- 
perienced no  difficulty  whatever  in  controlling  the  obedient  masses 
that  constantly  passed  during  the  day.  The  people  moved  up 
to  the  east  door  and  were  admitted  to  the  rotunda  in  ranks  of 
two,  and  passing  on  either  side  of  the  casket  in  the  same  order, 
moved  to  the  west  door,  through  which  the  exit  was  made  to 
the  West  Park.  In  this  way  an  average  of  about  100  persons 
per  minute  have  passed  through  the  rotunda  to-day,  and  yet 
there  was  not  an  unseemly  act  committed  nor  a  loud  word 
spoken.  This  extraordinary  reverence  for  the  dead  President 
is  the  best  possible  evidence  of  the  depth  of  the  popular  feel- 
ing, and  a  striking  illustration  of  the  patriotic  and  law-abiding 
character  of  the  American  people. 

The  face  of  the  dead  President  has  undergone  a  slight 
change  since  it  was  first  exposed  yesterday.  The  work  of  de- 
composition is  making  rapid  progress,  and  in  order  to  hide  the 
decay  as  much  as  possible  the  glass  was  removed  to-day  from 
the  coffin  and  the  face  carefully  powdered.  Nothing  of  interest 
beyond  this  occurred  during  the  day  in  connection  with  the  ly 
ing  in  state,  except  a  visit  to  the  rotunda  from  ex  Presidents  Grant 
and  Hayes,  after  having  witnessed  the  swearing  in  of  President 
Arthur  by  the  Chief-Justice.  The  two  ex-Presidents  moved 
quietly  and  gadly  to  the  side  of  the  coffin,  and  taking  a  place  in 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  287 

the  line  of  visitors  gazed  for  a  minute  on  the  face  of  their  suc- 
cessor, and  then,  arm  in  arm,  silently  retraced  their  steps  to  the 
Senate  wing  of  the  Capitol.  Very  few  people  recognized  the 
two  ex-Presidents,  and  their  visit  was  so  brief  and  unexpected 
that  their  presence  at  the  side  of  the  coffin  was  not  noticed  by 
more  than  five  or  six  persons  to  whom  they  were  both  person- 
ally known. 

It  was  discovered  to-night  that  the  body  of  the  late  President 
was  decomposing  so  rapidly  that  it  was  determined  to  close  the 
coffin,  and  it  is  probable  that  it  will  not  be  again  opened.  The 
face,  which  was  partially  discolored  when  the  body  arrived  here, 
has  now  become  overspread  with  a  livid  hue,  adding  to  its 
ghastliness  and  making  the  sight  too  horrible  for  public  expo- 
sure. In  addition  to  this  marked  and  terrible  change  in  the  face 
there  is  emitted  from  the  casket  a  perceptibly  unpleasant  odor, 
showing  that  the  body  is  not  in  condition  for  further  public  in- 
spection. In  view  of  this  changed  condition  it  is  doubtful 
whether  the  family  will  consent  to  have  the  coffin  again  opened. 
The  fact  that  it  is  closed  has  had  no  effect  whatever  upon  those 
who  desire  to  pass  through  the  rotunda,  and  the  crowd  to-night 
is  almost  as  great  as  at  any  time  during  the  day.  Mrs.  Elaine 
and  Mrs.  Windom  were  the  first  to  call  attention  to  the  condi- 
tion of  the  body.  These  two  ladies  visited  the  Capitol  this 
evening,  and  on  looking  at  the  face  of  the  dead  President  re- 
quested those  in  charge  to  close  the  coffin,  remarking  that  they 
were  convinced  Mrs.  Garfield  would  be  shocked  if  she  were 
made  acquainted  with  its  terrible  condition.  As  none  of  those 
in  charge  had  authority  to  close  the  coffin,  the  exposure  contin- 
ued until  the  members  of  the  Cabinet  could  be  communicated 
with,  when  an  order  was  given  to  cover  the  face  against  further 
exhibition. 

Several  beautiful  floral  contributions  of  novel  design  were 
deposited,  near  the  head  of  the  coffin,  during  the  day.  First, 
there  is  a  wreath  of  natural  ivy  lying  flat  upon  the  stone 
floor.  Beyond  this  is  a  broken  column,  about  three  feet  high, 
surmounted  by  a  white  dove.  Next  to  this  is  a  representation 
of  "  The  Gates  Ajar."  The  gates  and  bars  are  composed  of 
ferns  fastened  on  wire  previously  shaped  to  represent  a  double 
gate,  one  side  of  the  gate  being  partly  open.  The  posts  from 
which  the  gates  are  swung  are  composed  of  white  rosebuds, 
planted  in  beds  of  yellow  and  white  flowers,  and  surmounted 


288  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

by  globes  of  immortelles.  This  beautiful  offering  was  contrib- 
uted by  members  of  the  Vermont  Avenue  Christian  Church, 
and  was  universally  admired  by  the  passing  crowd.  The  gates 
are  large  enough  for  a  person  to  walk  through  if  opened  to  their 
full  extent.  Next  to  this  floral  triumph  was  a  crown  of  white 
flowers  with  a  delicate  fern  entwined  about  the  crest,  and  be- 
yond this  stood  a  broken  column,  surmounted  by  a  white  dove 
in  the  attitude  of  alighting.  Next  there  was  a  large  pillow  of 
white  roses  with  the  words  "  Our  Martyr  President,"  worked  in 
immortelles.  This  floral  display  terminates  as  it  begins,  with  a 
wreath  of  ivy  laid  flat  on  the  stone  floor.  The  ferns,  which  are 
so  abundant  in  the  making  of  these  artistic  designs,  are  of  the 
species  which  were  used  at  the  death  of  Senator  Sumner.  Then 
they  were  seen  in  this  country  for  the  first  time.  In  addition 
to  the  floral  contributions  above  described,  there  was  received  to- 
day from  her  Majesty  Queen  Victoria,  through  Mr.  Victor  Drum- 
mond,  Charge  d' Affaires  of  the  British  Legation  at  Washing- 
ton, a  handsome  wreath,  which  now  rests  upon  the  casket.  This 
wreath  was  laid  on  the  casket  by  Mr.  Drummond  at  the  command 
of  Queen  Victoria,  cabled  to-day.  A  card  attached  to  the 
wreath  reads  as  follows :  "  Queen  Victoria,  to  the  memory  of 
the  late  President  Garfield.  An  expression  of  her  sorrow  and 
sympathy  with  Mrs.  Garfield  and  the  American  Nation.  Sept. 
22,  1881." 

The  body  will  lie  in  state  until  noon  to-morrow,  when  the 
public  will  be  excluded  from  the  Capitol  in  order  that  the  ar- 
rangements may  be  made  for  the  funeral  services,  which  are  to 
be  held  at  3  o'clock  under  the  direction  of  the  Rev.  F.  D. 
Power,  Pastor  of  the  Christian  Church  in  this  city,  of  which 
President  Garfield  was  a  member.  Mr.  Power  will  conduct  the 
services  at  the  special  request  of  Mrs.  Garfield.  At  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  religious  services,  which  will  occupy  about  one  hour, 
the  body  will  be  removed  to  the  Pennsylvania  Kailroad  depot, 
and  taken  by  special  train  direct  to  Cleveland.  Six  members  of 
the  Christian  Church  have  been  selected  by  Mrs.  Garfield  to  carry 
the  body  from  the  rotunda  to  the  hearse/arid  from  the  hearse  to 
the  funeral  car  at  the  depot.  These  six  gentlemen  are  A.  K.  Ingle, 
William  S.  Roose,  H.  C.  Sticr,  W.  W.  Dungan,  Benjamin  Sum- 
my,  and  D.  F.  Moore.  The  Philharmonic  Society  will  render 
appropriate  music  during  the  religious  services  at  the  rotunda, 
consisting  of  the  following  selections :  "  To  Thee,  0  Lord,  I 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  289 

yield  my  spirit,"  from  the  oratorio  of  "Saint  Paul,"  and  the 
familiar  hymns,  "Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul,"  and  "Asleep  in 
Jesus,  blessed  sleep."  The  body  will  be  escorted  to  the  depot 
in  about  the  same  order  in  which  it  was  brought  to  the  Capitol. 

On  arriving  at  the  depot  the  body  will  be  placed  in  a  car  at- 
tached to  the  funeral  train,  which  will  consist  of  three  of  the 
most  elegant  of  the  Pullman  Car  Company's  coaches  and  a  fune- 
ral car,  all  elaborately  decorated.  The  funeral  car  proper  will 
be  opened  at  the  side,  admitting  a  view  of  the  coffin  as  the 
train  passes  along.  The  other  three  cars  will  be  occupied  by  Mrs. 
Garfield  and  members  of  the  family  and  personal  friends, 
together  with  the  members  of  the  Cabinet,  the  physicians  who 
were  in  attendance  upon  the  President,  ex-Presidents  Grant  and 
Hayes,  and  the  committees  appointed  by  the  Senate  and  House. 
Another  train  will  immediately  follow  the  funeral  train,  upon 
which  will  be  the  Senators,  members  of  Congress,  Justices  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  and  other  distinguished  persons  who  have  been 
invited  to  attend  the  funeral.  On  Saturday  morning  the  trains 
will  be  met  at  the  Ohio  State  line  by  Gov.  Foster  and  his  staff. 

A  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives 
was  held  on  Tuesday  afternoon,  September  20,  and  a  commit- 
tee, consisting  of  Messrs.  Randall,  Kasson  and  Townsend,  was 
appointed  by  the  chair  to  meet  a  similar  committee  appointed 
by  the  Senate,  to  determine  what  action  should  be  taken  in  the 
premises.  On  their  return  to  the  chamber  the  committee  re- 
ported that  it  had  been  agreed  that  a  committee  of  eight  mem- 
bers should  be  appointed  by  each  House  to  escort  the  body  to 
Cleveland;  that  a  special  train  should  be  chartered  to.  convey 
the  other  senators  and  members  to  that  place,  and  that  ex- 
Presidents  Grant  and  Hayes  should  be  invited  to  accompany 
them.  On  motion  of  Mr.  Randall  a  similar  invitation  was 
extended  to  ex-Speaker  Banks,  and  then  the  report  of  the 
committee  was  agreed  to.  It  was  further  determined  that  the 
members  of  the  House  should  meet  in  the  hall  of  the  House  to- 
morrow at  2  o'clock  and  attend  the  funeral  ceremonies  in  a  body. 
There  will  be  a  space  in  the  rotunda  set  apart  for  their  accom- 
modation, and  the  Sergeant-at-Arms  was  instructed  to  furnish 
each  member  with  symbols  of  mourning.  By  the  action  of 
the  meeting  Mr.  Tucker,  of  Virginia,  was  appointed  Chairman 
of  the  Escorting  Committee,  the  other  members  of  which  will 
be  Messrs.  Kasson  of  Iowa,  Randall  of  Pennsylvania,  Hiscock  of 
13 


290  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

New  York,  Wilson    of    West  Virginia,   Thomas   of  Illinois, 
Townsend  of  Ohio,  and  Shelley  of  Alabama. 

A  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  Senate  was  held  in  the 
Vice-President's  room,  Senator  Anthony  presiding.  The  fol- 
lowing senators  were  present:  Messrs.  Anthony,  Hale,  Dawes, 
Edmunds,  Morrill,  Saulsbury,  Bayard,  Kellogg,  Davis,  of  West 
Virginia,  Camden,  Sherman,  McMillan,  Garland,  Pugh,  Mor- 
gan, Jones,  of  Nevada,  Blair,  Mitchell,  and  also  ex-Senator 
Hamlin.  The  Committee  of  Conference  reported  that,  on  con- 
ferring with  the  House  Committee,  it  was  deemed  best  to 
charter  a  special  train  for  the  use  of  the  senators  and  mem- 
bers and  such  guests  as  they  should  desire  to  invite,  which 
report  was  accepted,  and  the  Sergeant-at-Arms  was  instructed 
to  make  the  necessary  arrangements.  It  was  decided  to  post- 
pone the  adoption  of  resolutions  upon  the  death  of  President 
Garfield  until  the  meeting  of  the  Senate  in  regular  session.  The 
Chairman  then  announced  the  following  as  a  committee  on  the 
part  of  the  Senate  to  accompany  the  body :  Senators  Anthony, 
Sherman,  Bayard,  Ingalls,  Pugh,  Blair,  Camden,  and  Morgan. 
The  meeting  then  adjourned. 


LAST  HONORS  AT  THE  CAPITAL. 

FUNERAL    SERVICES    IN     THE    ROTUNDA    OF   THE    CAPITOL SCRIP- 
TURAL    PASSAGES     AND     PRAYERS VISIT     OP     THE     STRICKEN 

WIDOW STARTING    OF    THE   FUNERAL    TRAIN. 

WASHINGTON,  Sept.23. — It  has  been  a  day  of  universal  mourn- 
ing. Had  the  late  President  died  as  plain  Congressman  Garfield, 
with  no  tragic  or  pathetic  concomitants  to  the  sad  event,  it 
might  have  been  said  of  him  that  no  man  in  this  community 
would  have  left  so  many  personal  friends  to  mourn  his  departure. 
From  the  highest  in  official  and  social  life  to  the  coachman  who 
drove  him  out  or  the  servant  at  his  table,  all  who  had  ever  come 
in  contact  with  him  formed  something  near  akin  to  affection  for 
him ;  and  he  was  so  essentially  a  man  of  the  people,  always  so 
approachable,  that  none  were  repelled.  Hence  his  personal 
friends  numbered  thousands.  Therefore  to-day,  when  his  re- 
mains were  to  be  taken  away  to  their  distant  resting-place,  each 


PRESIDENT  GABFIELD.  291 

individual  in  the  vast  crowds  which  witnessed  the  departure 
felt  that  in  some  sense  he  had  a  right  to  call  himself  a  mourner. 
Six  short  months  ago  the  man  made  his  exit  through  the 
east  doors  of  the  rotunda  of  the  Capitol  on  the  occasion  of  his 
inauguration  as  President  of  the  United  States.  Then  20,000 
people  greeted  him  with  enthusiastic  cheers,  bands  played  their 
loudest,  and  great  cannon  boomed  their  deepest  thunder.  To- 
day his  dust  was  brought  through  the  same  doors,  borne  by  the 
loving  hands  of  his  Christian  fellows  in  the  Church,  surrounded 
as  then,  by  all  that  was  notable  and  eminent  in  official  life,  and 
witnessed  again  by  20,000.  But  now  there  was  funereal  silence. 
In  all  the  vast  assemblage  no  voice  was  raised.  Bared  heads 
were  bowed  in  silent  grief.  There  was  no  crowding  or  rushing. 
Slowly  the  mourning  cortege  made  its  careful  way  down  the 
granite  steps.  Tenderly  the  casket  containing  his  mortal  re- 
mains was  lifted  into  place.  The  draped  flags  and  drums,  the 
measured  cadences  of  the  funeral  march  or  the  plaintive  melody 
of  a  hymn  of  promise,  the  slow  and  orderly  wheeling  into  line 
of  march,  made  the  contrast  with  the  event  to  which  all  minds 
reverted  more  startling  than  words  can  find  power  to  depict. 
The  day  was  clear  and  warm.  Although  it  had  become  known 
that  the  casket  had  been  closed  and  would  not  again  be  opened 
for  the  public,  great  crowds  assembled  early  to  see  the  outside 
of  the  coffin  which  contained  his  body.  For  hours  they  filed 
slowly  in  and  gazed  upon  the  casket  and  the  flowers.  The 
guards  of  honor  stood  like  statues  in  their  places  near  the 
coffin. 

MRS.  OABFIELD'S  SAD  VISIT. 

At  11  o'clock  the  doors  of  the  rotunda,  and  a  few  moments 
later  those  of  the  other  parts  of  the  Capitol,  were  closed  to  all. 
Guards  were  placed  at  intervals  in  the  corridors  of  the  building, 
and  while  all  who  desired  were  thereafter  permitted  to  go  out, 
none  were  allowed  to  enter.  There  was  surprise  and  some 
fault-finding  at  first;  but  when  it  was  said  that  the  occasion  for 
these  precautions  was  the  last  visit  of  the  widow  to  her  dead, 
all  were  content  to  let  it  be  as  she  desired,  in  quiet  and  pri- 
vacy. 

At  twenty  minutes  past  11  two  closed  carriages  drove  up  to 
the  east  lower  entrance  of  the  Senate  wing,  and  the  occupants 
alighted  and  passed  up  the  private  stairway  to  the  Vice-Presi- 


292  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

dent's  room.  All  the  corridors  and  passage-ways  upon  the  main 
floor  of  the  Senate  wing  were  quickly  barred  to  all  comers,  and 
instructions  were  given  by  Sergeant-at-Arms  Bright,  of  the 
Senate,  to  the  employees  and  Capitol  police  on  duty  to  keep 
themselves  completely  hidden  in  the  recesses  of  the  doors  and 
windows  while  Mrs.  Garfield  passed  through  to  the  rotunda. 
The  rotunda  itself  was  entirely  cleared,  the  guard  of  honor  re- 
tiring from  view  for  the  time  being.  In  a  few  minutes  the  little 
procession  emerged  from  the  Vice-President's  room,  and  passing 
around  through  the  east  corridor,  proceeded  in  the  following 
order  through  the  silent  and  desolated  main  passage-way  of  the 
building:  Sergeant-at-Arms  Bright  leading;  then  followed  Mrs. 
Garfield,  leaning  upon  the  arm  of  General  Swaim,  Harry  Garfield, 
Mollie  Garfield  and  Miss  Rockwell,  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Rockwell, 
and  Attorney-General  MacVeagh  and  Mrs.  Swaim.  Not  a  sound 
was  heard  save  the  soft  pattering  of  feet  upon  the  marble  floor 
as  the  little  company,  robed  in  the  sombre  garments  of  deepest 
mourning,  passed  silently  on. 

At  the  threshold  her  companions  stopped,  and  when  she 
entered  alone  the  doors  were  closed.  Beyond  that  threshold, 
rank  nor  power,  curiosity,  nor  even  imagination,  might  venture 
to  intrude.  The  lid  of  the  casket  had  been  removed,  and  for 
twenty  minutes  the  widow  remained  by  all  that  was  earthly  of 
her  honored  dead.  She  came  out  closely  veiled,  and  bearing  a 
few  flowers  taken  from  the  offerings  of  affection  which  had 
been  placed  upon  the  casket,  and,  taking  the  arm  of  General 
Swaim,  departed  as  silently  as  she  came.  It  was  fitting  that 
she  who  had  given  up  so  much  that  the  public  might  have  its 
own  brief  opportunity  to  pay  its  tribute  of  affection,  should  for 
one  moment  reclaim  it  to  herself,  and  that  no  eye  should  dare  to 
witness  nor  ear  dare  to  hear,  the  sobbings  of  that  widowed 
heart. 

THE    RELIGIOUS     SERVICES. 

At  12  o'clock  the  doors  were  reopened,  but  only  for  the 
admission  of  those  who  had  tickets,  or  who  by  their  official 
positions  were  entitled  to  enter  for  the  purpose  of  taking  part  in 
the  last  ceremonies  of  respect  to  the  dead  President.  Circles 
of  chairs,  sufficient  to  seat  perhaps  three  thousand,  had  been 
placed  in  a  position  on  all  sides,  leaving  aisles  to  each  of  the 
four  entrances  to  the  rotunda.  For  an  hour  only  the  members 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  293 

of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  the  guards  of  honor  and  a  few 
who  had  duties  in  connection  with  the  preparations  for  the 
ceremonies  were  present.  Then  a  few  ticket-holders  came  in 
and  took  the  seats  reserved  for  them.  Great  crowds  surrounded 
the  doors,  but  remained  for  the  most  part  in  silence.  Gradu- 
ally the  throng  increased,  now  a  diplomat  with  his  attendants 
in  glittering  court-dresses  and  now  a  society  or  a  committee  in 
regalias  and  plumes  in  sober  black  making  their  appearance, 
and  in  turn  taking  their  places.  Conversations  were  carried  on 
in  subdued  tones  or  in  whispers. 

A  few  moments  before  2  o'clock  the  Beauseart  Commandery 
of  Knights  Templar  from  Baltimore  filed  in  and  deposited  a 
handsome  floral  tribute  to  the  dead  President.  A  few  minutes 
later  a  number  of  the  members  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps  entered 
and  took  the  seats  assigned'  to  them  in  the  rear  of  the  sofas 
placed  for  the  accommodation  of  the  Supreme  Court,  the  mem- 
bers of  which  soon  after  entered  headed  by  Chief-Justice  Waite. 
At  2.40  Colonel  Rockwell,  Dr.  Boynton,  Private  Secretary 
Brown,  Messrs.  Judd,  Pruden,  Warren  Young,  Hindley  and 
Duke,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bolney,  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Corbin,  Mrs. 
Pruden,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Montgomery,  and  Mrs.  Dean,  representing 
the  household  of  the  late  President,  entered  and  took  the  seats 
reserved  for  them.  The  members  of  the  House  filed  in  through 
the  south  door,  preceded  by  the  officers  of  that  body  and  by  ex- 
Speakers  Randall  and  Banks.  They  were  followed  by  the 
senators,  Senator  Anthony  leading,  who  entered  by  the  north 
door.  At  3  o'clock  the  Cabinet  and  distinguished  guests  entered 
in  the  following  order:  President  Arthur,  and  Secretary  Elaine, 
ex-Presidents  Grant  and  Hayes,  Secretary  and  Mrs.  Windom, 
Secretary  and  Mrs.  Lincoln,  Secretary  and  Mrs.  Hunt,  Attorney- 
General  and  Mrs.  MacVeagh,  Secretary  Kirkwood,  and  Post- 
master-General James,  and  Generals  Drum  and  Beale.  The 
vast  assembly  rose  as  of  one  accord  to  honor  the  new  President, 
and  when  they  had  regained  their  seats  the  ceremonies  were 
opened  with  the  hymn,  "  Asleep  in  Jesus,"  beautifully  rendered 
by  the  volunteer  choir. 

PASSAGES    OF    SCRIPTURE    READ. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Rankin  then  ascended  the  raised  platform  at  the 
head  of  the  catafalque  and  read  in  a  clear,  distinct  voice  the 
following  Scriptural  selections : 


294  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

The  Lord  reigneth.  The  floods  have  lifted  up  their  voice. 
The  Lord  on  high  is  mightier  than  the  voice  of  many  waters. 
Clouds  and  darkness  are  round  about  him ;  righteousness  and 
judgment  are  the  habitation  of  his  throne.  By  him  kings  reign 
and  princes  decree  justice.  He  changeth  the  times  and  the  sea- 
sons. He  removeth  kings  and  setteth  up  kings. 

For  there  is  no  power  but  of  God.  The  powers  that  be  are 
ordained  of  God.  Whosoever,  therefore,  resisteth  the  power, 
resisteth  the  ordinance  of  God ;  and  they  that  resist  shall  receive 
to  themselves  damnation.  Cease  ye  from  man  whose  breath  is 
in  his  nostrils ;  for  wherein  is  he  to  be  accounted  of  ?  For 
behold  the  Lord,  the  Lord  of  hosts,  doth  take  away  from  Jeru- 
salem and  from  Judah  the  mighty  man,  the  man  of  war,  the 
honorable  man,  and  the  counsellor  and  the  eloquent  orator. 

There  is  no  man  that  hath  power  over  the  spirit  to  retain  the 
spirit ;  neither  hath  he  power  in  the  day  of  death  ;  and  there  is 
no  discharge  in  that  war.  There  shall  he  be  at  rest  with  kings 
and  counsellors  of  the  earth,  which  built  desolate  places  for 
themselves.  The  elods  of  the  valley  shall  be  sweet  unto  him ; 
and  every  man  shall  draw  after  him  as  there  are  innumerable 
before  him.  There  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling,  and  there 
the  weary  be  at  rest 

Then  answered  Jesus  unto  them :  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  He  that  heareth  my  Word  and  believeth  on  Him  that  sent 
me,  hath  everlasting  life  and  shall  not  come  into  condemnation ; 
but  hath  passed  from  death  unto  life.  To  him  that  overcometh 
will  I  grant  to  sit  with  me  on  my  throne ;  even  as  I  also  over- 
came, and  sit  down  with  my  Father  in  his  throne.  Blessed 
are  they  that  do  his  commandments  that  they  may  have  right  to 
the  tree  of  life,  and  may  enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the  city. 
And  they  shall  see  his  face,  and  his  name  shall  be  in  their  fore- 
heads. 

And  he  went  a  little  further,  and  fell  on  his  face  and  prayed, 
saying  :  O  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible  let  this  cup  pass  from  me. 
Nevertheless,  not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt. 

It  became  Him  for  whom  are  all  things,  and  by  whom  are  all 
things  in  bringing  many  sons  to  glory,  to  make  the  Captain  of 
their  Salvation  perfect  through  suffering.  The  disciple  is  not 
above  his  master  nor  the  servant  above  his  lord.  It  is  enough 
for  the  disciple  that  he  be  as  his  master  and  the  servant  as  his 
lord. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  295 

Let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled  ;  ye  believe  in  God,  believe 
also  in  me.  I  will  not  leave  you  comfortless ;  I  will  come  to 
you.  Leave  the  fatherless  children  ;  I  will  preserve  them  alive. 
And  let  thy  widow  trust  in  me. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  when  they  came  to  Bethlehem,  that  all 
the  city  was  moved  about  them.  And  they  said,  Is  this  Naomi  ? 
and  she  said  unto  them,  Call  me  not  Naomi,  call  me  Mara ;  for 
the  Lord  hath  dealt  very  bitterly  with  me.  I  went  out  full,  and 
the  Lord  hath  brought  me  home  again  empty. 

For  a  small  moment  have  I  forsaken  thee ;  but  with  great 
mercies  will  I  gather  thee.  I  hid  my  face  from  thee  for  a  mo- 
ment, but  with  everlasting  kindness  will  I  have  mercy  on  thee, 
saith  the  Lord,  thy  Redeemer. 

And  Jacob  died  and  was  gathered  unto  his  people.  And 
Joseph  went  up  to  bury  his  father.  And  there  went  up  with 
them  both  chariots  and  horsemen  ;  and  it  was  a  very  great  com- 
pany. And  when  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  saw  the  mourn- 
ing, they  said,  This  is  a  grievous  warning  to  thee.  And  they  did 
unto  him  according  as  he  had  commanded  them.  For  they 
carried  him  into  the  land  of  Canaan  and  buried  him  in  the  cave 
of  the  field  of  Machpelah  which  Abraham  bought  for  a  posses- 
sion of  a  burying-place. 

And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying  unto  me,  Write, 
Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth. 
Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors,  and 
their  works  do  follow  them. 

I  would  not  have  you  to  be  ignorant  concerning  them  which 
are  asleep,  that  ye  sorrow  not  even  as  others  which  have  no  hope. 
For  if  we  believe  that  Jesus  died  and  rose  again,  even  so  them 
also  that  sleep  in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with  him.  Wherefore, 
comfort  one  another  with  these  words.  Faithful  is  he  that  call- 
eth  you,  who  also  will  do  it. 

The  Lord  gave,  the  Lord  hath  taken  away.  Blessed  be  the 
name  of  the  Lord. 

DR.  ERRETT'S  PRATER. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Isaac  Errett  then  offered  prayer.  He  spoke  in 
a  clear  but  low  tone  of  voice,  and  with  much  evidence  of  deep 
feeling,  but  many  of  his  utterances  were  lost.  He  said : 

Our  beloved  President  is  dead.  Raised  by  the  voice  of  the 
people  to  the  Chief  Magistracy  of  this  great  nation,  he  was 


296  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

stricken  down  by  a  murderous  hand — cut  off  in  his  glorious  prom- 
ise, and  all  the  high  hopes  and  expectations  connected  with 
his  administration  of  public  affairs  sunk  into  disappointment  and 
nothingness.  O  Lord,  as  we  stand  in  the  presence  of  this  fear- 
ful calamity,  may  our  hearts  be  exceedingly  humbled  before 
Thee,  and  as  we  are  short-sighted,  we  pray  that  Thy  hand  may 
be  reached  down,  and  we  may  be  taken  through  this  darkness 
out  into  the  light ;  and  enable  us  to  realize  that  even  in  thickest 
darkness  Thou  dost  not  forget  to  be  merciful.  And  while  we 
deeply  feel  beyond  what  we  can  say  in  worls,  the  bitterness  of 
this  affliction  we  cannot  forget. 

O  Lord,  how  much  we  have  to  be  thankful  for.  We  desire 
to  praise  Thee  that  though  the  President  is  dead  the  nation 
lives,  that  though  our  Chief  Magistrate  is  thus  cruelly  and  vio- 
lently taken  away  from  us  the  Government  moves  on  in  the  peace- 
ful performance  of  all  its  functions,  that  there  is  no  jar  in  its 
machinery,  and  that  the  blessings  of  a  good  Government  are 
still  continued  to  us  in  all  the  land.  For  this  we  praise  Thee, 
and  we  humbly  pray  that  the  President  who  sits  near  to  our 
departed  President  may  be  filled  with  all  love  of  righteousness 
and  truth,  and  be  prepared  in  everything  by  the  blessing  of  God 
for  the  faithful  performance  of  his  responsible  duties.  May  he 
be  able  to  guide  the  affairs  of  this  nation  with  discretion,  may 
party  animosity  and  strife  and  sectional  division  be  overcome  by 
means  of  this  sacrifice,  so  that,  one  people  in  a  deeper  sense  than 
we  have  ever  been,  there  may  come  blessings  out  of  this  terrible 
affliction. 

The  reverend  gentleman  then  in  conclusion  paid  an  eloquent 
and  touching  tribute  to  Mrs.  Garfield,  referring  to  the  noble  and 
Christian  spirit  which  she  had  exhibited  in  the  hour  of  sorrow 
and  tribulation,  and  exhorting  her  to  look  to  God  in  the  days  of 
her  affliction.  He  invoked  the  divine  blessing  on  the  fatherless 
children :  that  the  sons  should,  under  the  benediction  of  God, 
grow  up  to  a  noble  manhood,  and  that  the  bereaved  daughter 
might  rise  into  a  true,  a  glorious  womanhood,  and  live  to  be 
the  comfort  of  her  widowed  mother.  He  appealed  to  God  to 
have  pity  on  the  dear  old  mother  over  the  mountains  waiting 
for  the  dead  body  of  her  darling  son,  now  that  she  was  old  and 
gray-haired. 


PRESIDENT  GARFlfiLD.  297 


DR.    POWERS  S    EULOGY. 

As  the  closing  words  of  the  prayer  died  away,  the  Rev.  F. 
D.  Powers,  of  the  Vermont  Avenue  Christian  Church,  of  which 
President  Garfield  was  a  member,  delivered  a  feeling  address. 
He  spoke  in  a  clear  voice,  and  was  distinctly  heard  in  every 
portion  of  the  hall. 

The  cloud  so  long  pending  over  the  nation  has  at  last  burst 
upon  our  heads.  We  sit  half  crushed  amid  the  ruin  it  has 
brought.  A  million  million  prayers  and  hopes  and  tears,  as  far- 
os human  wisdom  sees,  were  vain.  Our  loved  one  has  passed 
from  us.  But  there  is  relief.  We  look  away  from  the  body. 
We  forget,  for  a  time,  the  things  that  are  seen.  We  remember 
with  joy  his  faith  in  the  Son  of  God,  whose  Gospel  he  some- 
times himself  preached,  and  which  he  always  truly  loved.  And 
we  see  light  and  blue  sky  through  the  cloud  structure,  and  beauty 
instead  of  ruin;  glory,  honor,  immortality,  spiritual  and  eternal 
life  in  the  place  of  decay  and  death.  The  chief  glory  of  this 
man,  as  we  think  of  him  now,  was  his  discipleship  in  the  school 
of  Christ.  His  attainments  as  scholar  and  statesman  will  be  the 
theme  of  our  orators  and  historians,  and  they  must  be  worthy 
men  to  speak  his  praise  worthily.  But  it  is  as  a  Christian  that 
we  love  to  think  of  him  now.  It  was  this  which  made  his  life 
to  man  an  invaluable  boon,  his  death  to  us  an  unspeakable  loss, 
his  eternity  to  himself  an  inheritance  incorruptible,  undefiled, 
and  that  fadeth  not  away. 

He  was  no  sectarian.  His  religion  was  as  broad  as  the  religion 
of  Christ.  He  was  a  simple  Christian  bound  by  no  sectarian 
ties,  and  wholly  in  fellowship  with  all  pure  spirits.  He  was  a 
Christologist  rather  than  a  theologist.  He  had  great  reverence 
for  the  family  and  relations.  His  example  as  son,  husband,  and 
father  is  a  glory  to  this  nation.  He  had  a  most  kindly  nature. 
His  power  over  human  hearts  was  deep  and  strong.  He  won 
men  to  him.  He  had  no  enemies.  The  hand  that  struck  him 
was  not  the  hand  of  his  enemy,  but  the  enemy  of  the  position, 
the  enemy  of  the  country,  the  enemy  of  God.  He  sought  to 
do  right,  manward  and  Godward. 

He  was  a  grander  man  than  we  know.     He  wrought  even  in 

his  pain  a  better  work  for  the  nation  than  we  can  now  estimate. 

He  fell  at  the  height  of  his  achievements  not  from  any  fault  of 

his,  but  we  may  in  some  sense  reverently  apply  to  him  the 

13* 


298  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 

words  spoken  of  his  dear  Lord,  "  He  was  wounded  for  our  trans 
gressions,  he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities,  the  chastisement  of 
our  peace  was  upon  him."  As  the  nations  remember  the  Mace- 
donian as  Alexander  the  Great  and  the  Grecian  as  Aristides 
the  Just,  may  not  the  son  of  America  be  known  as  Garfield  the 
Good? 

Our  President  rests ;  he  had  joy  in  the  glory  of  work,  and  he 
loved  to  talk  of  the  leisure  that  did  not  come  to  him.  Now  he 
has  it.  This  is  the  day,  precious  because  of  the  service  it  ren- 
dered. He  is  a  freed  spirit ;  absent  from  the  body  he  is  pres- 
ent with  the  Lord.  On  the  heights  whence  came  his  help  he 
finds  repose.  What  rest  has  been  his  for  these  four  days  ?  The 
brave  spirit  which  cried  in  his  body,  "  I  am  tired,"  is  where  the 
wicked  cease  from  troubling  and  the  weary  are  at  rest.  The 
patient  soul  which  groaned  under  the  burden  of  the  suffering 
flesh  "  Oh,  this  pain,"  is  now  in  a  world  without  pain.  Spring 
comes,  the  flowers  bloom,  the  buds  put  forth,  the  birds  sing. 
Autumn  rolls  round,  the  birds  have  long  since  hushed  their 
voices,  the  flowers  faded  and  fallen  away;  the  forest  foliage 
assumes  a  sickly,  dying  hue,  so  earthly  things  pass  away  and 
what  is  true  remains  with  God. 

The  pageant  moves,  the  splendor  of  arms  and  the  banners 
glitter  in  the  sunlight,  the  music  of  instruments  and  of  oratory 
swells  upon  the  air.  The  cheers  and  praises  of  men  resound. 
But  the  spring  and  summer  pass  by,  and  the  autumn  sees  a 
nation  of  sad  eyes  and  heavy  hearts,  and  what  is  true  remains 
of  God.  "  The  eternal  God  is  our  refuge,  and  underneath  are 
the  everlasting  arms." 

THE    EEV.  MR.  BUTLER'S    PRAYER. 

At  the  conclusion  of  Dr.  Power's  address,  the  Rev.  J.  G. 
Butler  offered  prayer  as  follows : 

Our  Father,  we  bow  before  thee  with  bleeding  hearts.  Thy 
judgments  are  unsearchable  and  Thy  ways  past  finding  out.  We 
rejoice  in  the  light  that  comes  from  Thy  throne  in  this  hour  of 
darkness,  and  adore  Thee  as  our  Covenant  God,  the  God  of  our 
now  sainted  President,  and  the  Sovereign  among  earth's  rulers. 
There  is  forgiveness  with  Thee,  and  we  come  with  penitent 
hearts  in  the  name  that  is  above  every  name.  We  thank  God 
for  the  life  of  His  servant  around  whose  remains  the  nation's 
host  gathers  in  sorrow,  for  his  patriotism  and  purity,  for  hi* 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  299 

courage  and  patience,  for  his  faith  and  piety — the  faith  that  was 
first  in  his  now  heart-stricken  mother.  The  Lord  deal  very 
tenderly  with  her  and  preserve  her  unto  everlasting  life.  God 
be  praised  for  the  blending  of  hearts  at  the  mercy-seat  asking 
the  life  of  our  President  Father,  not  as  we  will,  but  as  Thou 
wilt.  Thy  wisdom  and  love  are  infinite  and  unerring.  Sanc- 
tify this  faith-trial  to  the  nation  to  the  glory  of  Thy  name.  Thou 
compassionate  Saviour,  we  commend  to  thee  very  tenderly  her 
whose  faith  and  courage  made  Thy  servant  strong  in  his  days  of 
weakness.  We  thank  Thee  for  the  gathering  of  helpful  sym- 
pathy around  her  in  this  her  darkest  hour.  Thou  wilt  keep 
and  bless  her  and  the  fatherless  ones  entrusted  to  her  training. 
Oh,  that  they  may  walk  in  the  faith  of  their  father  and  of  their 
mother  and  of  their  grandmother.  Keep  them  all  from  acci- 
dent upon  their  journey,  bearing  this  sacred  dust  to  its  last  rest- 
ing-place. Help  us  to  look  beyond  the  home  of  the  soul,  where 
the  child  shall  find  its  mother  and  the  mother  the  child,  and 
where  they  die  no  more.  God  be  praised  for  the  institutions 
of  freedom  and  religion,  the  rich  heritage  of  our  fathers,  which 
survive  the  death  of  rulers  and  of  people.  Make  us  worthy  of 
Thee.  Give  us  the  wisdom  and  courage  needed  to  protect  and 
perpetuate,  thus  making  us  more  and  more  a  pattern  among  the 
nations.  Endow  with  wisdom  and  grace  Thy  servant  upon  whom 
the  great  responsibilities  of  administration  have  so  suddenly 
come.  Bless  his  Cabinet,  coming  from  their  anxious  and  lov- 
ing ministries  of  sorrow  in  the  chamber  of  suffering  and  death. 
Oh,  that  all  our  rulers  may  ever  rule  in  Thy  fear,  and  that  our 
land  may  be  noted  for  righteousness  and  peace — the  spirit  of 
justice  and  equity  animating  those  who  make  and  execute  the 
law,  that  all  the  people  may  enjoy  peace  and  prosperity.  Make 
us  worthy  subjects  of  the  coming  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  to  whom  with  Thee,  0  Father,  with  the 
ever-blessed  Spirit  be  dominion  and  power  and  glory,  world 
without  end.  Amen. 

Immediately  after  the  close  of  the  services  the  floral  decora- 
tions were  all  removed  (Mrs.  Garfield  having  requested-that  they 
be  sent  to  her  home  at  Mentor)  except  the  beautiful  wreath,  the 
gift  of  Queen  Victoria,  which  had  been  placed  upon  the  head 
of  the  coffin  when  the  lid  was  closed,  and  which  remained  there 
when  the  coffin  was  borne  to  the  hearse,  and  will  lie  upon  it 
till  the  remains  are  buried ;  this  touching  tribute  of  Queen  Vic- 


300  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

toria  greatly  moved  Mrs.  Garfield,  as  only  a  woman  can  feel  a 
woman's  sympathy  at  the  time  of  her  greatest  earthly  sorrow. 

The  street  scenes  were  only  repetitions  of  what  was  seen  here 
on  Wednesday,  when  the  body  was  received  from  Elberon. 
The  pavements,  windows,  and  roofs  of  houses  all  along  the 
route  of  the  march  from  the  Capitol  to  Sixth  Street  were 
crowded  and  fairly  packed  with  people.  For  hours  before 
the  time  for  the  arrival  of  the  body  at  the  depot,  the  streets 
for  several  squares  were  blocked  so  that  all  travel  was  stopped 
except  the  passage  of  the  street  cars.  Inside  the  depot  the 
arrangements  were  complete  and  even  sumptuous. 

THE    START   FOR    CLEVELAND. 

The  funeral  train  was  divided  into  two  sections  of  some  six 
or  seven  Pullman  palace-cars  each,  and  all  the  afternoon  the 
gentlemen  in  charge  of  the  different  organizations  of  the  cortege 
were  engaged  in  bringing  in  supplies  of  all  kinds.  The  large 
size  of  the  party,  consisting  of  the  Cabinet,  Army  and  Navy 
officers,  Senators  and  Representatives,  and  the  impossibility  of 
securing  such  supplies  on  the  road,  made  it  necessary  to  have 
it  done  beforehand.  Mr.  Wormley,  the  famous  restaurateur, 
was  asked  to  attend  to  this  part  of  the  programme.  The  hearse 
reached  the  depot  at  4.20,  at  which  moment  the  Marine  Band 
played  a  solemn  air.  The  Army  and  Navy  officers  marched 
out  to  the  gateway,  and  stood  in  two  lines  with  heads  uncov- 
ered, while  the  artillery  sergeants  bore  the  coffin  on  to  the  plat- 
form and  thence  into  the  car,  as  they  had  taken  it  out  on  Wed- 
nesday. The  Cabinet  followed  slowly  and  at  intervals,  the  crowds 
on  the  outside  preventing  the  prompt  arrival  of  their  carriages. 
The  pall-bearers  were  followed  closely  by  the  Army  and  Navy 
officers  and  White  House  employees.  Then  came  General  Grant 
and  Mr.  Hayes,  arm  in  arm.  Directly  after  came  the  President, 
holding  to  the  arm  of  Mr.  Blaine,  and  with  Attorney-General 
MacVeagh  on  the  other  side.  Then  came  Secretary  and  Mrs. 
Lincoln,  Secretary  and  Mrs.  Windom,  Secretary  and  Mrs. 
Hunt,  Secretary  and  Mrs.  James,  and  the  others  in  irregular 
order.  Mr.  Blaine  and  General  Beale  returned  in  a  few  moments 
escorting  the  President  and  General  Grant  back  to  their  carriage. 

The  remainder  of  the  party  came  in  promiscuously,  and  were 
assigned  to  their  places  in  the  cars  as  rapidly ;  and  a  few  min- 


PEE8IDENT  GARFIELD.  301 

utes  after  5  o'clock  the  funeral  train  passed  out  of  the  depot, 
followed  at  a  short  interval  by  the  Congressional  train. 

As  the  crowds  turned  sorrowfully  homeward,  there  was  a 
realization  of  the  fact  that  Washington  City,  and  the  whole 
country  as  well,  has  taken  leave  forever  of  a  great  man — one 
who  for  twenty  years  has  filled  a  large  space  in  the  national 
esteem. 


THE  LAST  SAD  JOURNEY. 

THE    RAILROAD    LINED    WITH    PEOPLE    ALL    THE    WAY    FROM 
WASHINGTON FLOWERS    STREWED    ON    THE    TRACKS. 

CLEVELAND,  OHIO,  September  24. — The  funeral  train  of  six 
coaches  bearing  the  body  of  President  Garfield  left  the  Balti- 
more and  Potomac  station  in  Washington  at  5.15  o'clock  yes- 
terday, passing  out  of  the  city  amid  the  tolling  of  bells  and  in 
the  presence  of  many  thousand  silent  people.  The  first  coach 
was  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  president's  private  car — No.  120 
— reserved  for  Mrs.  Garfield  and  her  family.  Miss  Mollie  Gar- 
field,  the  only  daughter  of  the  dead  President,  crept  into  her 
mother's  arms  as  the  train  moved  slowly  away  from  the  capital, 
and  in  her  efforts  to  soothe  the  little  one's  grief  the  President's 
widow  became  brave  and  calm.  Fresh  flowers  were  scattered 
before  the  train,  and  there  were  few  dry  eyes  in  the  groups 
surrounding  Mrs.  Garfield  at  this  tender  exhibition  of  the  peo- 
ple's grief  and  sympathy.  Mrs.  Mason  and  Mrs.  Reed,  cousins 
of  Mrs.  Garfield,  remained  with  her.  The  Rev.  Isaac  Errett,  of 
Cincinnati,  who  will  preach  the  funeral  sermon  at  Cleveland ; 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Powers,  of  the  Christian  Church  at  Washington ; 
General  Swaim,  Colonel  Rockwell  and  wife,  Marshal  Henry, 
Private  Secretary  Brown,  Dr.  Hawkes,  the  tutor  of  the  Garfield 
boys ;  Miss  Rockwell  and  Harry  Garfield,  the  late  President's 
eldest  boy,  were  the  occupants  of  the  other  private  car.  The 
members  of  the  Cabinet,  with  their  wives,  occupied  the  second 
coach,  the  Pullman  hotel  car  Marlborough.  All  looked  sadly 
out  at  the  crowd,  and  but  few  words  were  exchanged.  The 
third  car,  the  Lindell,  bore  the  officers  of  the  army  and  navy. 
In  the  fourth  was  the  coffin  of  the  dead  President,  and  with  it  a 
guard  of  honor,  among  whom  was  Major  Clapp,  a  comrade  of 


302  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

General  Garfield  ir  the  Forty-second  Ohio  Volunteers,  and  one 
of  the  witnesses  of  the  late  President's  marriage.  The  guard  of 
honor  was  composed  of  Lieut.  E.  W.  Weaver,  of  the  Second 
Artillery ;  Sergeant-major  Salter,  and  eleven  non-commissioned 
officers  and  privates.  The  fifth  coach  contained  the  Congres- 
sional committee. 

Baltimore  was  reached  in  one  hour  and  thirty  minutes.  A 
very  large  assemblage  was  at  the  Charles  Street  depot.  Cut 
flowers  were  thrown  into  the  coaches  as  they  passed  slowly 
through  the  outskirts  of  the  city.  The  line  of  cars  moved 
slowly  through  the  crowd  that  surrounded  the  Charles  Street 
station,  and  passed  out  on  the  track  of  the  Northern  Central 
Railroad.  The  locomotive  divided  the  great  assemblage  of 
people  into  two  compact  masses  on  either  side  of  the  train. 
This  gathering  of  men  and  women  and  children  of  every  con- 
dition of  life  looked  on  in  reverential  silence.  Col.  Rockwell, 
who  had  been  leaning  his  head  on  his  hand  looking  out  of  the 
window,  suddenly  straightened  up  and  said  in  a  low  tone  to  those 
around  him :  "  This  is  a  far  different  scene  from  what  I  wit- 
nessed here  on  Monday  morning,  the  28th  day  of  February.  We 
were  going  the  other  way  then,  and  right  about  there  in  the 
car  the  man  who  lies  dead  yonder  stood  in  the  full  strength  of 
manly  age.  He  had  just  returned  from  the  platform,  where  he 
had  been  bowing  to  the  crowd  who  came  here  to  welcome  him 
on  his  way  to  the  White  House.  It  was  a  cold  day,  and  his 
face  was  flushed  with  pleasure  and  excitement.  He  made  every 
one  happy  about  him  in  his  old-time  way.  His  ambition  was 
satisfied,  his  friends  and  his  family  were  about  him,  and  the 
future  seemed  very  bright.  The  crowd  outside  was  howling 
itself  hoarse  for  him.  What  a  splendid  type  of  American  man- 
hood he  was.  Look  at  the  contrast  now.  In  there  he  lies,  a 
poor  mass  of  clay,  and  the  crowd  that  shouted  for  him  six 
months  ago  stands  there  weeping  for  him  to-day." 

The  speed  of  the  train  was  increased  after  leaving  Baltimore. 
York,  the  largest  town  on  the  line,  was  reached  at  8.20.  Night 
fell,  with  lowering  clouds,  and  the  darkness  was  almost  impene- 
trable. A  large  crowd  of  people,  notwithstanding,  met  the 
train  at  this  point.  Rough-visaged  miners  lifted  their  little 
children  up  so  that  they  might  see  the  coffin  of  the  dead  Pres- 
ident as  the  body  was  borne  slowly  away  to  its  last  resting- 
place.  The  funeral  train  did  not  stop  after  leaving  Baltimore 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  303 

until  Yorkhaven,  a  small  coaling  station,  was  reached,  twelve 
miles  below  Harrisburg,  on  the  Stisqaelianna,  The  journey  of 
120  miles,  from  Washington  to  the  State  capital  of  Pennsylvania, 
was  almost  without  incident.  Wherever  a  village  or  a  house 
was  to  be  seen  there  were  sad  faces  turned  sorrowfully  towards 
the  black-clad  train  bearing  the  dead  President  from  the  capital 
of  the  nation  to  the  grave.  With  tolling  bells  the  train  rolled 
through  the  larger  villages,  passing  between  lines  of  factories 
and  dwellings  hung  with  black.  There  had  been  from  early 
morning  a  total  suspension  of  business  in  every  place  along 
the  line. 

At  a  late  hour  Col.  Rockwell  and  Gen.  Swaim,  Dr.  Boynton 
and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Power  left  Mrs.  Garfield's  car  for  the  night. 
In  the  Army  coach  Generals  Sherman,  Sheridan,  and  Hancock 
were  joined  by  several  members  of  the  Cabinet  and  ex-Presi- 
dent Hayes.  Supper  was  prepared  in  the  hotel  car  after  leav- 
ing Bridgeport,  opposite  Harrisburg.  Bonfires  were  lighted 
in  the  little  mountain  hamlets,  and  the  bells  were  tolled  as  the 
train  passed  on.  The  whole  population  of  neighboring  villages 
assembled  along  the  railroad.  The  train  did  not  cross  the  Sus- 
quehanna  to  Harrisburg,  but  continued  by  the  Northern  Central 
track  up  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  and  in  seven  miles  reached 
Marysville,  in  the  gap  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  The  train  was  timed 
to  arrive  at  9.36  in  the  evening,  and  it  came  three  minutes 
later.  The  church  bells  rang  at  intervals  of  every  half-minute, 
and  in  the  town  hall  of  the  village  a  meeting  was  being  held 
at  which  the  sorrow  and  grief  of  the  people  at  the  President's 
death  was  expressed.  Engine  No.  91,  belonging  to  the  Middle 
Division  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  was  here  attached  to  the 
train,  and  it  was  placed  in  charge  of  Superintendent  H.  Carter, 
T.  H.  Ely,  superintendent  of  machinery  ;  John  B.  Rood,  fore- 
man; Mr.  Wells,  the  local  train-master;  and  W.  D.  Cramer. 
These  officers  were  to  conduct  the  train  over  the  mountains  to 
Altoona.  The  greatest  care  was  taken  in  perfecting  the  local 
railway  arrangements,  a  pilot-engine  proceeding  fifteen  miles  in 
advance  of  the  funeral  train  to  see  that  the  track  was  clear.  At 
Marysville  a  delay  of  seven  minutes  was  made.  The  Congres- 
sional train  followed  twenty  minutes  later,  and  was  placed  in 
charge  of  new  railroad  officers  for  the  rest  of  the  long  and  sad 
journey  over  the  mouHtains  to  the  lake. 

The  Congressional  train  arrived  at  Marysville,  Penn.,  at  10.15 


304  TBE  ASSASSINATION  OF1 

last  night,  and  Don  Cameron's  private  car  was  then  attached 
to  it.  The  car  contained  but  three  persons,  Senators  Don 
Cameron  and  Logan  and  ex-Senator  Chaffee.  At  Marysville 
the  second  train  was  thirty  minutes  behind  the  funeral  train. 
To  show  how  well  the  road  was  guarded  on  the  occasion  of 
this  lamentable  journey  it  may  be  stated,  on  the  authority  of 
an  official  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  that  every 
switch  between  Baltimore  and  Pittsburg  was  manned,  and  men 
to  watch  the  track  were  placed  at  every  half  mile  on  the  route, 
and  reported  to  the  conductor  of  the  train  by  lantern  signals  at 
every  half-mile  station  designated  by  the  officials.  The  train 
left  Altoona  on  time  at  1.40  this  morning,  and  passed  Johns- 
town at  3.15  a.m.  About  3000  people  had  congregated  at  the 
depot,  standing  uncovered  and  silent.  The  bells  of  all  the 
churches,  school-houses,  and  engine  companies  were  tolled.  Derry 
station  was  reached  at  about  4.30  o'clock.  Hundreds  had  gath- 
ered here,  and  the  same  scenes  were  enacted  when  the  train  en- 
tered the  Union  depot  at  Pittsburg  at  5.40  this  morning.  Fully 
5000  people  had  assembled  at  the  depot,  and  in  the  streets 
through  which  the  train  was  to  pass.  No  demonstration  was 
made,  save  the  tolling  of  all  the  bells  throughout  the  city  and 
the  firing  of  minute  guns  by  the  Kna^p  jdattery.  A  committee 
of  fifty  citizens  was  on  hand,  and,  like  the  crowd,  stood  with 
their  heads  bowed  and  uncovered.  The  scene  was  very  solemn 
and  impressive,  and  will  not  soon  be  forgotten  by  those  who 
participated.  During  the  fourteen  minutes'  stop  at  Pittsburg, 
while  the  train  was  been  shifted  to  the  Cleveland  and  Pittsburg 
Railroad  tracks,  no  one  ventured  to  speak  a  word  above  a  whis- 
per, and  the  funeral  party  kept  themselves  out  of  sight.  The 
train  drew  out  of  the  depot  at  5.45,  and  slowly  crossed  the 
bridge  to  Allegheny  City,  where  a  car  containing  the  Cleveland 
committee  was  attached.  More  people  even  than  in  Pittsburg 
lined  the  tracks  through  Allegheny  City  and  the  parks  along 
the  line  of  the  railroad.  Where  it  passed  through  the  West 
Park  the  tracks  were  covered  with  plants  in  full  bloom  and 
beautiful  and  expensive  floral  tributes.  The  train  steamed  out 
of  Allegheny  City  at  6.20,  amid  the  tolling  of  bells,  but  there 
were  no  other  demonstrations. 

The  second,  or  Congressional,  train  left  Altoona  at  2.15  a.m., 
drawn  by  two  locomotives.  There  were  several  hundred  people 
in  the  depot,  many  of  whom  were  ladies.  The  train  reached 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  305 

Deny,  Penn.,  at  4.45  a.m.,  when  it  stopped  for  water.  Many 
people  of  both  sexes  were  in  waiting  along  the  track  at  that 
unusual  hour  to  see  the  train  pass.  At  Derry  it  was  30  minutes 
behind  the  first  train.  After  daylight  people  could  be  seen  in 
bunches  of  10  or  15  at  many  different  points  along  the  line  of 
the  road.  The  nearer  to  Pittsburg  the  train  approached  the 
more  frequent  became  the  crowds,  and  all  the  small  stations 
were  filled  with  men,  women,  and  children.  The  train  arrived 
at  Pittsburg  at  6.17  a.m.,  where  breakfast  was  taken.  The 
funeral  train  had  left  Pittsburg  20  minutes  earlier.  It  had 
stopped  for  about  15  minutes,  but  breakfast  was  not  partaken 
of.  The  Congressional  train  left  Pittsburg  at  7.05.  For  a  long 
distance  out  of  the  city  people  were  to  be  seen  in  groups  on 
either  side  of  the  track.  The  local  committee  from  Cleveland 
arrived  at  Pittsburg  last  night  in  a  special  car  appropriately 
draped,  which  was  attached  to  the  train,  making  ten  cars  in  all, 
and  all  were  draped  with  the  exception  of  that  occupied  by  Don 
Cameron  and  his  party. 

At  Sewickley  a  stop  of  five  minutes  was  made  in  order  that 
the  funeral  train  might  get  30  minutes  in  advance,  it  having 
been  decided  to  keep  the  two  trains  that  distance  apart.  The 
train  arrived  at  Rochester  at  7.43  o'clock.  A  large  number  of 
people  were  gathered  at  the  depot,  and  Post  No.  183  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  was  drawn  up  in  line  to  receive 
the  train.  As  the  Congressional  train  moved  out  of  Rochester 
the  members  of  the  Grand  Army  were  ordered  by  the  command- 
ing officer  to  raise  their  hands  in  salute,  in  which  position  they 
remained  until  the  last  car  had  passed.  As  usual,  in  passing  ail 
of  the  towns,  men,  women,  and  children  of  all  classes  were 
gathered  on  either  side  of  the  track,  while  at  the  depot  several 
hundred  were  congregated.  Congressman  Hanna,  chairman  of 
the  Cleveland  local  committee,  passed  through  the  train  with 
Sergeant-at-Arms  Thompson,  and  was  introduced  by  him  to  the 
gentlemen  with  whom  he  was  not  acquainted.  Mr.  Hanna  was 
accompanied  by  a  gentleman  from  Cleveland  who  had  charge 
of  the  arrangements  for  quartering  the  guests  in  this  city. 
Those  who  desired  it  have  been  invited  to  take  up  their  abode 
at  private  residences,  many  citizens  of  Cleveland  having  ex- 
tended that  courtesy.  For  those  who  prefer  them  hotel  accom- 
modations have  been  provided. 

The  drapery  on  the  first  car  caught  fire  this  morning  while 


306  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

the  train  was  in  motion,  but  was  extinguished  before  much  dam- 
age had  been  done.  A  post  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic was  drawn  up  in  front  of  the  depot  at  East  Liverpool,  Ohio, 
which  was  reached  at  7.58,  when  the  train  passed  in  the  order 
of  salute.  A  band  of  music  was  in  attendance  and  played  a 
funeral  dirge.  A  beautiful  arch  was  erected  over  the  main 
street,  tastefully  decorated.  The  fire  department  was  also 
drawn  up  in  line,  and  about  1000  people  were  congregated  at 
the  station  and  along  the  track.  The  Congressional  train  here 
caught  up  with  the  funeral  train,  which  was  delayed  because  of 
a  request  of  Mrs.  Garfield  that  the  coach  in  which  she  was 
should  be  placed  in  the  rear  of  the  train.  The  ladies  did  not 
sleep  well  last  night  because  of  the  heat  and  being  too  close  to 
the  engine.  The  funeral  train  made  another  stop  at  Wellesville 
Junction,  about  three  miles  from  Wellesville,  to  take  in  water. 
The  car  shops  of  the  company  are  situated  here,  and  the  em- 
ployees, with  their  wives  and  children,  were  assembled  in  a  body 
to  witness  the  passing  of  the  train.  Across  the  front  of  one  of 
the  largest  shops  was  stretched  a  wide  piece  of  canvas,  on  which 
was  painted  in  prominent  letters,  "  We  Mourn  our  Dead  Presi- 
dent." The  people  stood  quietly  by  when  the  train  stopped, 
scarcely  any  of  them  moving  until  it  again  started.  At  Welles- 
ville proper  there  was  a  large  crowd,  and  as  the  funeral  train 
stopped  for  some  time,  the  assemblage  had  an  opportunity  to 
partially  gratify  their  curiosity.  Ex-President  Hayes,  Secreta- 
ries Elaine  and  Lincoln,  and  ^Postmaster-General  James  sat  at 
open  windows  facing  the  people,  and  many  men  shook  hands 
with  the  distinguished  gentlemen,  and  as  the  train  moved  out 
of  the  depot  followed  it  with  their  eyes  as  long  as  it  was  possi- 
ble to  do  so.  Some  of  the  women  took  their  little  children  up 
to  the  car  windows  to  have  them  shake  hands  with  the  inmates. 
In  one  instance  Postmaster-General  James  took  a  little  child  up 
and  kissed  it. 

At  one  of  the  stations  passed  a  large  number  of  the  male  por- 
tion of  the  crowd  were  in  a  kneeling  position  as  the  train  rolled 
by. 

One  reason  for  Mrs.  Garfield's  requesting  that  her  car  be 
placed  at  the  rear  of  the  train  was  that  she  desired  to  be  out  of 
reach  of  the  crowd  on  arriving  at  Cleveland.  Whenever  the 
train  has  made  a  stop  the  curtains  of  Mrs.  Garfield's  car  have 
been  drawn  down.  The  manifestations  of  sympathy  for  the 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  307 

dead  President  were  most  marked  along  the  entire  route.  The 
houses  from  a  mansion  to  a  log  cabin  were  draped  in  mourning 
at  all  points.  At  Salineville,  Ohio,  there  was  quite  a  gathering 
of  all  classes  of  people.  Coal-miners,  with  their  lamps  on  their 
hats  and  clothes  covered  with  dirt,  just  as  they  had  rushed  from 
the  mines,  were  mingled  with  well  dressed  men  and  women.  A 
number  of  coal-mine  boys,  with  lamps  on  their  hats,  were  drawn 
up  in  martial  line  in  front  of  the  depot. 

At  10  o'clock  this  morning  lunch  under  the  supervision  of 
Wormley,  of  Washington,  was  served  to  those  on  the  second 
section  of  the  train.  A  few  miles  west  of  Salineville  there  is  a 
heavy  grade,  and  the  engine  was  unable  to  take  the  train  up  it. 
Another  engine  was  sent  for  to  assist,  and  the  train  was  delayed 
25  minutes  awaiting  its  arrival.  At  Summitville,  Ohio,  there 
was  a  large  gathering  to  view  the  passing  of  the  trains.  The 
main  streets  were  filled  with  occupied  vehicles  and  the  depot 
was  crowded  with  people.  The  same  scenes  were  repeated  at 
Bayard,  Ohio,  and  other  stations  along  the  route.  From  the 
number  of  carriages  at  each  place  it  would  seem  that  the  peo- 
ple had  come  to  town  from  all  the  surrounding  country. 

Alliance,  Ohio,  was  the  next  point  at  which  the  Congressional 
train  stopped.  The  crowd  here  was  immense,  and  manifestations 
of  grief  were  recognizable  on  every  hand.  There  were  about 
3000  people  present  when  the  funeral  train  passed.  While  the 
Congressional  train  was  standing  in  the  Alliance  station  quite  a 
number  of  people  gathered  around  Senator  Don  Cameron's  ear 
and  requested  the  privilege  of  shaking  hands  with  that  gentle- 
man and  Senator  Logan.  The  wishes  of  only  a  few  of  them, 
however,  were  granted.  At  Atwater,  the  next  station  west  of 
Alliance,  quite  a  crowd  was  gathered  at  the  station.  The  train 
stopped  for  water  at  Ravenna  at  11.31.  Here  a  large  number 
of  people  were  assembled.  The  buildings  were  draped  in 
mourning,  and  there  was  a  general  manifestation  of  sorrow. 
This  was  the  last  stop  which  the  train  made  before  reaching  its 
destination. 

At  1.30  this  afternoon  the  train  bearing  the  remains  of  the 
murdered  President  arrived  here  on  schedule  time,  and  20  min- 
utes later  the  Congressional  train  rolled  into  the  depot.  The 
mournful  journey  had  been  made  without  accident  of  any  kind, 
and  the  pageant  had  been  witnessed  by  more  sorrowing  citizens 
than  ever  before  looked  upon  a  funeral  train  in  this  country. 


308  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 

THE    MtJKDERED  PRESIDENT'S    BODY  RESTING    IN  THE  CITY  OF   HIS 

OLD     FRIENDS — THE     PROCESSION    DOWN    EUCLID     AVENUE 

PLACING  THE    BODY    ON     THE     CATAFALQUE     IN    THE     PUBLIC 
SQUARE ELABORATE  FLORAL  OFFERINGS  AND  DECORATIONS. 

All  that  remains  on  earth  of  James  A.  Garfield  now  lies  in  the 
heart  of  this  city,  which  he  loved  so  well.  It  has  been  a  sad 
day  in  Cleveland.  Upon  the  streets  which  have  so  often  felt 
his  step,  the  people  walked  with  mournful  faces,  for  under  the 
dark  canopy  on  their  public  square  lay  the  body  of  him  who 
was  the  flower  of  the  manhood  of  their  State,  whom  they  had 
given  to  their  country,  and  who  had  yielded  up  his  life  in  their 
country's  service  while  holding  the  highest  office  which  the 
Republic  could  bestow  upon  him.  All  classes  and  all  ages  are 
bowed  in  sorrow,  for  in  health  he  was  very  near  to  all,  and 
his  sufferings  had  brought  him  close  to  the  heart  of  every 
family.  The  dark  train,  which  passed  like  a  dreadful  shadow 
over  the  country,  bright  with  the  light  of  a  September  sun, 
found  men  and  women  kneeling  or  standing,  with  uncovered 
heads  and  tearful  eyes,  along  the  way  in  the  State  where  the 
struggles  of  his  youth  and  the  achievements  of  his  manhood 
were  equally  well  known.  It  is  a  great  blow  to  the  people  of 
North-eastern  Ohio  and  this  city.  It  is  not  the  hearty,  cheerful, 
robust  man  with  his  hand  extended  to  every  one,  who  comes 
back  to  the  scenes  of  his  youth  and  the  people  whom  he  so  long 
represented  and  so  warmly  loved  ;  it  is  the  voiceless  clay,  soon 
to  be  hidden  in  the  darkness  of  the  tomb. 

As  the  funeral  train  sped  on  its  way  from  the  East  over  the 
mountains  to  the  shore  of  Lake  Erie  its  passage  was  noted  and 
announced  here  from  every  station,  so  that  the  time  of  its  ar- 
rival was  well  known  to  those  who  were  awaiting  it.  It  was 
said  that  the  train  would  reach  the  Euclid  Avenue  station  at 
1.15  o'clock.  For  several  hours  before  that  time  the  people  of 
the  city  and  the  surrounding  country  had  been  gathering  around 
the  station  and  on  the  broad  sidewalks  which  lie  between  it  and 
the  Public  Square.  The  work  of  displaying  the  symbols  of 
mourning  upon  private  dwellings  and  public  buildings  had  been 
finished,  but  at  1  o'clock  workmen  were  still  engaged  in  com- 
pleting the  pavilion  which  shields  the  catafalque  and  the  arches 
which  have  been  erected  on  each  side  of  the  central  square.  At 
1.20  those  who  were  standing  upon  the  platform  of  the  Euclid 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  809 

Avenue  station  saw  the  black  engine  and  its  line  of  shrouded  cars 
approaching,  and  at  1.21  the  funeral  train  rolled  in,  while  the 
engineer  slowly  tolled  lus  bell.  So  heavy  was  the  funeral  drapery 
that  very  little  of  the  ordinary  exterior  of  the  engine,  tender,  or 
cars  could  be  seen.  Black  flags  hung  from  the  pilot,  and  the  sides 
of  the  tender  were  completely  hidden  by  the  folds  which  had 
been  placed  over  them.  Here  and  there  on  the  passenger  cars 
the  drapery  had  been  slightly  disturbed  by  the  wind  which  had 
blown  upon  the  swiftly  moving  train,  but  nearly  all  of  the  folds 
remained  intact. 

For  a  moment  after  the  train  had  stopped  the  silence  was 
unbroken  and  no  one  appeared  at  the  doors  or  windows.  Then 
the  relatives  and  friends  and  members  of  the  escort  stepped 
down  upon  the  platform.  The  arrangements  were  not  of  so 
formal  a  character  as  at  Long  Branch  and  Washington.  Among 
the  first  who  appeared  was  Marshal  Henry,  the  late  President's 
trusted  friend,  whose  big  heart  and  warm  sympathy  are  not 
concealed  by  a  sturdy  exterior.  He  had  come  at  last  with  the 
body  of  his  friend  to  those  friends  in  Ohio,  between  whom  and 
the  suffering  President  he  had  been  a  link  of  communication. 
Next  appeared  the  General  of  the  Army  in  full  uniform,  and  he 
was  followed  by  a  long  line  of  the  prominent  officers  of  the 
Army  and  Navy  who  were  to  take  their  places  in  the  escort. 
These  distinguished  men  and  some  of  the  attendants  of  the 
White  House,  with  the  members  of  the  Cleveland  committee, 
gathered  in  little  groups  upon  the  platform  and  consulted  in 
low  tones.  Near  Gen.  Sherman  stood  Gen.  Winfield  S.  Hau- 
cock,  with  tearful  eyes.  He  had  come  to  bear  his  part  in 
paying  respect  to  his  late  commander,  whom  he  had  opposed  in 
vain  upon  the  field  of  politics.  His  eyes  were  not  fixed  upon 
the  group  around  him,  and  he  seemed  to  be  thinking  of  the 
awful  event  which  had  taken  from  life  the  man  who  had  reached 
the  position  which  he  also  had  striven  to  attain.  In  a  few 
minutes  the  officers  formed  in  two  lines,  between  which  passed 
the  stricken  relatives  and  friends  and  the  members  of  the  late 
President's  Cabinet  There  were  Dr.  Boynton,  the  untiring 
nurse  and  faithful  friend ;  Gen.  Swaim  and  Col.  Rockwell,  who 
had  loved  the  President  with  the  love  of  brothers ;  Col.  Corbin, 
with  the  orphaned  daughter  of  the  President  leaning  upon  him, 
and  then  the  noble  widow,  with  her  son,  and  the  Secretary  of 
State,  careworn  and  sorrowful.  Mrs.  Gajrfield  was  at  Qace  taken 


310  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

to  the  house  of  a  friend,  and  she  did  not  appear  in  the  pro- 
cession. These  were  followed  by  ex-President  Hayes,  Chief- 
Justice  Waite,  Secretary  Windom,  Gov.  Foster,  the  Rev.  F.  D. 
Power,  pastor  of  the  little  church  on  Vermont  Avenue,  in  Wash- 
ington, with  which  the  late  President  had  been  connected,  and 
the  Rev.  Isaac  Errett ;  Postmaster-General  James  and  Mrs.  James, 
Secretary  Lincoln,  Attorney-General  MacVeagh  and  Mrs.  Mac- 
Veagh,  Secretary  Hunt,  J.  Stanley  Brown,  the  late  President's 
private  secretary,  and  Warren  S.  Young ;  Dr.  Hawkes,  the  tutor 
of  the  late  President's  sons;  Associate  Justices  Strong  and 
Matthews,of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  others  who  had  served  the 
late  President  during  his  illness,  or  who  were  members  of  the 
official  escort. 

As  soon  as  these  living  occupants  of  the  train  had  departed, 
the  soldiers  of  the  Second  Artillery,  to  whom  had  been  assigned 
the  duty  of  bearing  the  coffin  to  the  hearse,  came  forward  to 
remove  the  body  from  the  car.  Their  white  helmets  and  blue 
and  red  uniforms  were  in  strong  contrast  with  the  dark  gar- 
ments of  the  relatives  and  friends.  The  coffin  was  gently 
moved  from  its  resting-place,  passed  through  the  door  of  the 
car,  and  placed  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  artillerymen,  who 
bore  it  along  the  platform  and  through  the  lines  to  the  street, 
where  the  hearse  was  guarded  by  the  veterans  of  Gen.  Garfield's 
old  regiment,  the  Forty-second  Ohio  Volunteers,  who  bore  the 
clothing  of  civil  life.  The  commanderies  of  Knights  Templar 
and  the  Cleveland  Grays  and  other  organizations  were  awaiting 
the  movements  of  the  procession.  The  hearse  was  a  plain  but 
costly  one,  furnished  by  local  undertakers,  and  drawn  by  four 
handsome  black  horses,  which  were  covered  with  black  robes 
fringed  with  silver.  The  body  of  the  hearse  was  enveloped  in 
crape.  A  colored  man  led  each  horse.  These  colored  men 
had  performed  the  same  duty  at  the  obsequies  of  President 
Lincoln. 

Several  members  of  Congress  had  come  directly  to  this  city 
to  join  the  procession,  and  these  appeared  on  the  platform 
before  the  arrival  of  the  second  section  of  the  funeral  train, 
which  carried  the  remainder  of  the  Congressional  delegation. 
The  funeral  train  arrived  at  1.21,  the  casket  was  placed  in  the 
hearse  at  1.31,  and  the  doors  of  the  hearse  were  closed  at  1.34. 
The  Congressional  train  soon  arrived,  and  its  occupants  formed 
in  line  upon  the  platform,  Among  those  who  had  come  were 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  311 

Senators  Sherman,  Bayard,  Ingalls,  Pugb,  Anthony,  Camden, 
Blair,  Morgan,  Garland,  Edmunds,  Beck,  Kellogg,  Jonas,  Jones 
of  Florida,  Jones  of  Nevada,  Groome,  Logan,  Hawley,  Cameron 
of  Pennsylvania,  Senator-elect  Miller  and  ex-Senator  Chaffee, 
ex- Speaker  Randall,  Representatives  J.  R.  Tucker,  Hiscock, 
Kasson,  Amos  Townsend,  Wilson,  and  McCook,  and  ex-Repre- 
sentative Starin.  Gov.  Jewell,  of  Connecticut;  Sergeant-at- 
Arms  Bright,  of  the  House,  and  Commissioner  Loring  were 
also  in  the  line.  Senator  Pendleton  had  awaited  the  coming  of 
the  train  at  the  station. 

Great  crowds  had  gathered  around  the  depot.  The  tops  of 
the  neighboring  houses  were  covered  with  men  and  women,  and 
an  old  baggage-car  was  so  covered  with  human  beings  that  the 
wood-work  could  not  be  seen.  Down  the  avenue  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach  the  lines  of  sorrowing  people  extended.  T^e 
Congressional  train  moved  away  from  the  station  while  the  pro- 
cession was  forming.  The  cars,  like  those  of  the  funeral  train, 
were  heavily  draped  in  mourning.  The  people  crowded  into 
the  center  of  the  street,  but  were  restrained  by  the  members  of 
a  local  military  company.  In  the  open  space  in  front  of  the 
depot  stood  a  photographer  aranging  his  camera.  Near  at  hand 
were  the  delegates  from  Columbia  Commandery,  No.  2,  Knights 
Templar,  of  Washington,  and  the  members  of  Oriental  and 
Holy  wood  Commanderies,  of  this  city. 

The  scene  on  Euclid  Avenue  was  grand,  impressive,  and  affect- 
ing. There  are  few  thoroughfares  in  the  world  which  rival  this 
in  beauty.  The  broad  roadway  runs  for  miles  between  rows  of 
stately  dwellings,  which  are  surrounded  by  spacious  grounds 
and  shaded  by  numerous  trees  from  the  station  to  the  public 
square.  The  sidewalks  and  broad  porches  were  filled  with 
people.  The  display  of  symbols  of  mourning  and  grief  upon 
the  house-fronts  was  remarkable.  Some  of  the  larger  mansions 
were  almost  hidden  in  folds  of  black.  The  pillars  of  porticos 
were  covered  with  black  and  white.  Large  portraits  of  the 
murdered  President  were  frequently  exhibited.  Huge  anchors 
of  black  and  white  had  been  placed  in  the  windows.  Flags  at 
half-mast  with  wide  black  borders  floated  from  many  a  lofty 
staff.  In  some  of  these  exhibitions  rare  taste  was  shown.  The 
avenue,  like  the  business  streets,  had  put  on  mourning  garments, 
and  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  where  the  poor  live  in  humble 
dwellings,  the  display  was  universal. 


312  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

The  mournful  journey  to  the  catafalque  was  begun.  In  ad- 
vance were  three  platoons  of  policemen,  each  line  stretching 
from  one  curbstone  to  the  other.  These  were  followed  by  Col. 
John  M.  Wilson,  United  States  Army,  and  staff,  who  rode  in 
front  of  the  Cleveland  Grays'  band,  whose  drums  were  muffled 
and  whose  bright  instruments  were  bound  with  crape.  A  fine 
body  of  mounted  men,  the  First  City  Troop,  rode  slowly  behind 
the  band  and  preceded  the  carriages  which  contained  the  local 
Committee  of  Arrangements.  These  were  followed  by  Gov. 
Foster,  of  Ohio,  and  his  staff.  Next  in  order  marched  delegates 
representing  Columbia  Commandery,  No.  2,  Knight's  Templar, 
of  Washington.  Directly  in  the  rear  of  these  was  the  body  of 
the  President,  drawn  by  black  horses,  which  were  held  by 
colored  grooms  by  means  of  silver  cords.  The  body  was 
guarded  by  the  United  States  artillerymen  who  had  borne  it 
from  the  railway  car.  Following  the  body  were  eight  drum- 
mers whose  drums  were  muffled  and  covered  with  crape.  The 
outer  guards  consisted  of  long  lines  of  Knights  Templar  from 
local  commanderies.  These  were  followed  by  the  Cleveland 
Grays,  a  company  wearing  gray  uniforms  and  huge  shakos  of 
bearskin.  Their  marching  was  superb.  Then  came  the  sor- 
rowful handful  of  veterans  from  Gen.  Garfield's  old  regiment, 
the  Forty-second  Ohio  Volunteers,  in  citizen's  clothing.  There 
were  forty-six  of  these  men,  and  they  carried  their  torn  and  blood- 
stained battle-flags  closely  furled  and  bound  with  crape.  A 
long  line  of  carriages  then  appeared,  bearing  the  members  of 
the  Cabinet,  the  officers  of  the  Army  and  Navy,  the  Governors 
of  States,  Senators,  Representatives  in  Congress,  and  other  dis- 
tinguished visitors.  In  one  carriage  were  Gen.  Sherman, 
Admiral  Nichols,  and  Gen.  Sheridan.  As  the  horses  walked 
slowly  past,  other  well-known  faces  were  seen — those  of  Secre- 
tary Windom,  Gen.  Swaim,  Secretary  Hunt,  Postmaster-General 
James,  Attorney-General  MacVeagh,  Secretary  Blaine,  Secretary 
Lincoln,  Speaker  Randall,  Gov.  Jewell,  in  a  carriage  by  himself; 
in  another  carriage,  Senator  Edmunds,  Senator  Garland,  Senator 
Beck,  and  Sergeant-at-Arms  Bright;  in  another,  Senators 
Groome,  Jonas,  and  Pendleton ;  in  another,  Senators  Kellogg, 
McMillan,  Hawley,  and  Miller,  and  in  another,  Col.  Corbin  and 
other  near  friends  of  the  family. 

The  procession  moved  slowly  to  the  measures  of  a  mournful 
dirge.  At  3  o'clock  the  vanguard  reached  the  black  arch 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  813 

which  spanned  the  entrance  of  the  public  square.  The  road- 
ways around  the  square  were  blocked  with  people,  but  there 
were  very  few  within  the  enclosure.  Unfortunately,  the  arch 
had  not  been  completed,  and  some  of  the  woodwork  was  not 
yet  covered  with  cloth,  nor  had  the  pavilion  over  the  catafalque 
itself  been  finished.  Men  had  been  busily  engaged  upon  it  all 
the  morning,  and  the  derricks  were  still  by  its  side.  The  pavil- 
ion is  an  imposing  structure.  The  floor  upon  which  the  cata- 
falque rests  is  5^  feet  above  the  ground,  and  is  approached  over 
an  inclined  plane  from  the  east  and  the  west.  The  pavilion  is 
square,  and  the  arched  openings  face  the  four  points  of  the 
compass.  At  the  apex  of  the  roof  is  a  large  gilded  globe.  The 
arched  openings  at  the  sides  are  24  feet  wide  and  30  feet  long. 
The  floor  is  45  feet  square.  The  columns  at  the  angles  of  the 
pavilion  are  graced  by  minarets  of  festooned  flags,  and  from  each 
corner  hangs  a  large  black  banner.  Draped  field-pieces  are 
placed  a  short  distance  from  each  corner.  The  facades  are  or- 
namented with  beautiful  floral  emblems.  The  floral  offerings 
displayed  within  the  pavilion  are  rare,  and  some  of  them  deserve 
description.  A  large  cross  of  begonias  and  ivy,  with  arms  of 
ferns  and  begonias,  bears  a  heart  made  of  rosebuds.  Beneath 
is  an  anchor  of  white  balsams.  A  large  Bible  of  white  balsams 
lies  open,  its  pages  studded  with  rosebuds,  carnations,  and  tube- 
roses. Part  of  a  beautiful  altar  piece  consists  of  an  open  book 
of  pink  and  white  balsams  and  tuberoses,  with  pale  yellow  buds 
on  the  pages.  A  cross  of  white  balsams,  white  asters,  white 
roses,  and  carnations  towers  above  it.  A  lyre  of  balsams  and 
rosebuds  lies  against  a  green  column,  over  which  birds  hover. 
Another  piece  represents  a  dreary  stubble-field,  brown  and  bare, 
bearing  one  garnered  sheaf,  at  the  foot  of  which  lies  a  sickle  of 
balsams  and  rosebuds  and  tuberoses,  and  the  word  "Gathered" 
in  purple  immortelles.  There  is  a  beautiful  floral  picture  of 
"  The  Gates  Ajar."  A  monument  of  white  balsams  and  tube- 
roses has  its  base  banded  with  pink,  and  upon  the  apex  is  a  dove 
with  folded  wings.  There  are  many  massive  emblems  made  of 
rare  flowers.  A  lighthouse  of  balsams,  tuberoses,  begonias,  and 
geranium  leaves,  with  a  broad  base  of  fern  leaves  and  begonias, 
bears  a  shield  on  which  in  purple  immortelles  are  the  words : 
"  Garfield — a  Beacon  to  Posterity."  In  another  structure  the 
States  are  represented  by  columns  of  ivy  or  smilax,  with  the 
name  of  each  in  white  immortelles,  while  over  all  is  an  arch 
14 


314  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

which  bears  the  words,  "  Columbia  mourns  her  son."  Another 
example  of  artistic  skill  represents  a  ship  dismantled  and 
wrecked,  with  her  sails  and  ropes  torn.  She  is  beating  upon 
rocks,  and  flowers  and  leaves  are  floating  away  on  the  waves. 
A  list  of  these  offerings  would  be  almost  endless.  Two  carloads 
of  them  were  sent  from  Cincinnati. 

When  the  police  reached  the  archway  at  the  entrance  of  the 
public  square,  the  space  within  the  pavilion  was  guarded  by 
soldiers,  who  mournfully  paced  to  and  fro.  The  breeze  from  the 
lake  fitfully  shook  the  great  black  banners  which  hung  from  the 
corners  of  the  pavilion.  As  the  head  of  the  procession  entered 
the  public  square,  the  bell  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church, 
near  at  hand,  began  to  toll.  The  band,  continuing  the  dirge, 
filed  in  and  stood  at  one  side  of  the  space  between  the  arch  and 
the  pavilion.  The  Templars  followed  them,  and  formed  in  lines 
extending  on  each  side  of  the  way  from  the  arch  to  the  cata- 
falque. The  delegates  from  Columbia  Commandery  entered  the 
pavilion.  The  remaining  Templars  guarded  the  space  over 
which  the  body  must  pass.  Marshal  Henry  and  the  local  com- 
mittee came  up  the  inclined  plane,  and  the  grooms  led  the  black 
horses  into  the  public  square.  The  Templars  presented  their 
swords.  The  band  began  the  mournful  strains  of  Pleyel's 
Hymn,  playing  softly  and  tenderly.  Gov.  Foster  and  his  staff 
took  places  in  the  pavilion,  and  then  the  eight  artillerymen  took 
the  coffin  from  the  hearse  and  bore  it  slowly  up  the  inclined 
plane  to  the  catafalque,  upon  which  they  placed  it.  The  clay 
which  had  been  James  A.  Garfield  was  lying  in  the  city  of  his 
dearest  friends.  It  had  almost  reached  its  last  resting-place. 

The  scene  was  one  to  be  remembered.  There  was  a  deep 
solemnity  about  every  action  and  every  whispered  word.  The 
eye,  glancing  down  between  the  lines  of  Templars  and  through 
the  archway,  saw  the  troops  quietly  wheeling  and  preparing  to 
depart  So  still  was  it  in  the  presence  of  the  great  multitude 
which  surrounded  the  square  that  the  rustling  of  the  plants 
which  adorned  the  pavilion  as  the  breeze  swept  by  them  was 
plainly  heard.  The  coffin  having  been  deposited  in  its  place, 
the  hearse  was  taken  away.  The  Templars  wheeled  before  the 
pavilion  and  prepared  to  depart.  Twelve  privates  of  the  Cleve- 
land Grays  marched  to  the  front  of  the  pavilion  and  then,  three 
at  a  time,  went  up  and  took  their  places  as  guards  around  the 
catafalque.  They  were  directed  by  Adjutant-General  Smith  to 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  315 

allow  no  one  to  enter  the  pavilion.  The  remainder  of  the  com- 
pany departed,  and  the  Templars  followed  them,  leaving  four  of 
their  number  to  act  as  guard.  Three  minutes  afterwards  the 
war-worn  veterans  of  the  Forty-second  Ohio  Volunteers  marched 
up  to  the  entrance  of  the  pavilion,  and  passed  out  of  the  square 
by  a  gate  at  the  right.  The  ceremony  was  over. 

The  structure  and  the  whole  square  was  illuminated  by  electric 
lights.  Upon  one  side  of  the  pavilion  a  long  fire-ladder  extends 
to  the  roof  to  aid  the  workmen.  The  gilded  pillars  of  the  cata- 
falque have  been  draped  with  crape.  Upon  the  coffin  lay  the 
palm  leaves  and  the  wreath  sent  by  Queen  Victoria,  which  have 
not  been  removed  since  the  body  was  placed  in  the  Capitol.  At 
the  head  of  the  coffin  laid  a  scroll  bearing  the  following  words : 

"Life's  race  well  run, 
Life's  work  well  done, 
Life's  crown  well  won, 
Now  comes  rest." 


THE  MARTYR  LAID  AT  REST. 

LAST    SAD    RITES    OVER    PRESIDENT    GARFIELD's    BODY A   GREAT 

ASSEMBLAGE    GATHERS    TO    DO    HIM    HONOR THE    SCENE    IN 

THE    PAVILION ELOQUENT  WORDS    FROM    THE  REV.  DRS.  ER- 

RETT    AND    JONES THE    FUNERAL    PAGEANT THE    PATH    TO 

THE  VAULT    CARPETED  WITH    FLOWERS PUTTING    AWAY  THE 

DEAD    CHIEF    FOREVER. 

CLEVELAND,  Sept.  26. — The  last  honors  have  been  paid  to  the 
clay  which  once  held  the  soul  of  James  Abram  G-arfield,  and  the 
last  page  of  the  pathetic  record  which  began  on  the  2d  of 
July  has  been  turned,  and  the  body  of  the  murdered  President 
now  lies  in  that  beautiful  cemetery  which  he  had  chosen  for  his 
last  resting-place.  Brought  to  them  from  the  sea  through  ranks 
of  sorrowing  people,  the  relatives,  neighbors,  and  friends  have 
to-day  seen  it  laid  away  in  the  house  of  silence  in  the  city  of  the 
dead.  They  have  known  that  the  whole  civilized  world  was 
mourning  with  them  over  the  coffin  of  one  whose  birth-place 
was  a  log  cabin  in  the  wilderness.  They  have  seen  his  body 
followed  to  the  tomb  by  a  mighty  procession,  in  which  the  plain 


316  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

people  and  the  poor  laborer  walked  with  the  greatest  statesmen 
and  soldiers  of  the  Republic.  They  sent  him  forth,  they  have 
received  him  again.  He  will  greet  them  no  more,  but  the  mem- 
ory of  his  greatness  and  his  goodness  will  forever  be  the  most 
precious  possession  of  his  State  and  of  the  honest  people  among 
whom  he  was  born  and  by  whose  side  he  grew  until  his  name 
was  known  wherever  intelligence  and  integrity  are  honored  and 
freedom  is  prized. 

Throughout  the  night  the  stream  of  mourners  never  ceased  to 
pass  the  coffin,  which  lay  in  state  at  the  centre  of  the  public 
square.  Beyond  the  gates  there  was  some  conversation  in  the 
line,  but  when  the  mourners  had  passed  under  the  arch  on  which 
the  onward  steps  of  the  late  President's  life  were  so  simply  and 
plainly  symbolized,  all  these  sounds  were  hushed,  and  nothing 
could  be  heard  except  the  steady  shuffle  of  feet  upon  the  path- 
ways. The  electric  lights  shone  down  upon  the  bared  heads  of 
these  sorrowing  friends  and  the  sleeping  soldiers  stretched  upon 
the  grass.  The  night  passed  and  dawn  came,  but  still  the  peo- 
ple passed  on  by  the  coffin.  The  special  trains  in  the  morning 
brought  thousands  more  who  sought  places  in  the  line.  B  it  as 
the  time  for  the  beginning  of  the  funeral  ceremonies  drew  near 
it  became  necessary  to  close  the  gates,  and  at  9.10  o'clock  the 
stream  was  checked.  It  is  estimated  that  about  two  hundred 
thousand  persons  have  passed  the  coffin  since  it  has  lain  in 
Cleveland. 

At  a  little  before  10  o'clock  the  preparations  for  the  ceremo- 
nies upon  the  public  square  began.  South  of  the  pavilion  and 
catafalque  a  large  number  of  seats  had  been  placed  for  the  guard 
of  honor,  the  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court,  the  governors  of 
States,  the  members  of  the  United  States  Senate  and  House  of 
Representatives,  the  officers  of  the  army  and  navy,  members  of 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  the  classmates  of  the  late  Presi- 
dent, the  mayors  of  cities,  members  of  boards  of  aldermen  and 
councilmen,  and  the  representatives  of  the  press.  In  the  rear 
of  these  seats  were  the  singers  who  were  to  supply  the  music. 
Near  the  justices  and  governors  was  a  little  place  reserved  for 
the  clergymen  who  were  to  conduct  the  services.  The  sun's 
rays  were  oppressively  hot,  and  while  those  entitled  to  seats 
were  taking  their  places  the  funeral  car  which  was  to  bear  the 
body  to  the  cemetery  was  drawn  into  the  square  from  the  east 
by  twelve  black  horses,  harnessed  four  abreast.  Each  horse  was 


PRESIDENT  QARFIELD.  317 

covered  by  a  black  robe,  fringed  with  gold,  and  the  six  grooms, 
who  performed  a  similar  duty  when  the  body  of  President  Lin- 
coln was  in  Cleveland,  were  in  attendance,  holding  the  horses  by 
black  cords.  The  platform  of  the  car  was  eight  feet  wide  and 
sixteen  feet  long,  and  the  height  of  the  structure  was  twenty 
feet.  The  sombre  canopy  was  supported  by  six  columns,  draped 
in  black  broadcloth  and  garlands  of  immortelles.  Festoons  of 
black  broadcloth,  with  wreaths  of  white  immortelles,  were  sus- 
pended from  the  cornice.  At  the  four  corners  were  standards 
supporting  flags  furled  and  draped  in  crape,  and  at  the  four  cor- 
ners of  the  cornices  of  the  canopy  were  black  and  white  plumes. 
Other  plumes  were  at  each  corner  of  the  lantern  which  rose 
above  the  canopy,  and  before  this  lantern  were  an  urn  and 
wreaths  of  white  immortelles.  Between  the  pillars  could  be 
seen  the  raised  platform  on  which  the  body  was  to  be  placed. 
The  spirited  horses  taxed  the  strength  of  the  grooms  to  the  ut- 
most as  they  strove  to  guide  them. 

Although  the  reserved  seats  were  not  filled,  the  streets  around 
the  public  square  were  blocked  with  great  masses  of  people. 
Beyond  them  could  be  heard  the  sound  of  marching  men  who 
were  wheeling  into  the  long  line  of  the  procession.  The  Marine 
Band  of  Washington  came  in  through  the  west  gate  and  march- 
ed around  the  pavilion  to  the  east  gate  on  their  way  to  their 
places.  Following  them  were  Knights  Templar.  Upon  the 
grass  at  the  left  of  the  catafalque  were  the  cameras  of  two  en- 
terprising photographers.  At  10  o'clock  the  chosen  members 
of  the  Cleveland  Grays  and  the  four  Templars  were  still  guard- 
ing the  body.  A  few  of  the  reserved  seats  were  occupied.  Near 
their  chairs  were  Chief  Justice  Waite,  Associate  Justice  Mat- 
thews, and  Associate  Justice  Strong,  shielded  from  the  burning 
sun  by  umbrellas.  Upon  the  table  lay  a  large  Bible,  to  be  used 
by  the  clergymen.  A  few  minutes  later  General  W.  T.  Sher- 
man came  to  his  seat  with  Adjutant-General  Rogers,  General 
Sheridan,  Admiral  Stanley,  General  Hancock,  Commodore  Eng- 
lish, Quartermaster-General  Meigs,  Surgeon-General  Wales,  of 
the  navy,  Adjutant. -General  Drum,  Chief  Paymaster  Lodker, 
Colonel  Tourtellotte,  and  Colonel  Ward.  They  were  followed  by 
Senators  Baldwin,  Kellogg,  Logan,  Don  Cameron,  Jonas,  Conger, 
Miller,  Pendleton,  Beck,  Edmunds,  Garland,  Blair,  Pugh,  Ingalls, 
Anthony,  Morgan,  Bayard,  Sherman,  Camden,  Jones  of  Florida, 
McMillan,  Sawyer,  Hawley,  Harrison,  and  Saunders,  an-d  ex-Sen- 


318  THE  ASSASSINATION  Off 

ator  McDonald.  Each  Senator  wore  a  broad  white  sash  or  re- 
galia on  which  was  a  rosette  of  black  and  white.  The  sun  beat 
down  on  them  unmercifully  and  the  heat  was  hard  to  endure. 
The  space  from  the  catafalque  to  the  funeral  car  was  guarded 
for  the  first  time  by  rows  of  weatherbeaten  marines  from  the 
Michigan,  which  was  lying  in  the  harbor.  The  number  of  per- 
sons on  the  funeral  pavilion  rapidly  increased  after  10  o'clock. 
Among  those  who  came  was  ex-President  Hayes,  who  could  be 
seen  talking  with  ex-Secretary  Evarts.  While  the  distinguished 
persons  to  whom  seats  had  been  assigned  were  taking  their  places, 
carriages  were  seen  coming  into  the  public  square.  The  first  car- 
riage was  drawn  by  two  beautiful  white  horses.  The  door  was 
opened,  and  a  young  man  with  a  mournful  face  alighted  and 
then  assisted  to  the  ground  a  lady  clad  in  deep  black.  These 
were  the  President's  widow  and  his  son  Harry.  With  them  was 
one  of  the  President's  little  boys.  Another  figure,  bent  with 
age  and  leaning  on  the  arms  of  two  of  the  late  President's  de- 
voted friends,  slowly  ascended  the  inclined  plane  and  took  a 
seat  on  the  north  side,  not  far  from  the  coffin.  This  was  the 
late  President's  mother,  who  saw  him  assume  his  high  position 
in  Washington,  and  whom  he  tenderly  kissed  on  that  day  after 
he  had  taken  the  oath  at  the  east  front  of  the  Capitol.  Other 
carriages  came,  bearing  other  relatives  of  the  dead  President 
and  the  members  of  his  Cabinet.  These  took  their  places  in 
the  pavilion.  Mrs.  Blaine  stood  for  some  time  by  the  side  of 
the  catafalque  shielding  from  the  sun  the  venerable  head  of  the 
late  President's  mother,  which  was  lying  on  the  coffin  which 
held  the  body  of  her  son.  The  aged  lady  wept  quietly,  and 
prayed.  There  were  many  tearful  eyes  in  the  pavilion.  A  long 
line  of  Representatives  took  their  places  in  the  rear  of  the  Sena- 
tors. Among  these  were  ex-Speaker  Randall,  ex-Speaker  Banks, 
and  Messrs.  Hiscock,  Starin,  Hubbell,  Townsend,  Newberry, 
McKinly,  McCook,  and  Chalmers  of  Mississippi.  Each  of  the 
Representatives  wore  a  broad  white  sash.  Soon  afterward 
Governor  Cornell,  of  New  York,  and  his  staff  came  and  took 
their  seats.  The  other  governors  present  were  Bigelow,  of  Con- 
necticut; Foster,  of  Ohio;  Ludlow,  of  New  Jersey;  Hoyt,  of 
Pennsylvania ;  Cullom,  of  Illinois  ;  Gear,  of  Iowa ;  Porter,  of 
Indiana ;  Blackburn,  of  Kentucky  ;  Smith,  of  Wisconsin ;  Jack- 
son, of  West  Virginia ;  Pitkin,  of  Colorado ;  Jerome,  of  Michi- 
gan; Hawkins,  of  Tennessee;  and  Jarvis,  of  North  Carolina. 


PRESIDENT  OARFIELD.  319 

For  some  time  the  carriages  continued  to  pass  before  the 
pavilion,  until  nearly  all  the  space  in  it  was  occupied  by  the 
relatives  and  near  friends  of  the  departed  hero. 

THE    SERVICES    IN    THE    PAVILION. 

Then  the  clergymen  took  the  seats  reserved  for  them. 
Around  a  small  table  sat  the  Rev.  Isaac  Errett,  of  the  ChurcL 
of  the  Disciples ;  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Bedell,  of  the  Protes- 
tant Episcopal  Church  ;  the  Rev.  Dr.  Houghton,  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church ;  the  Rev.  Jabez  Hall,  of  the  Church  of  the  Disci- 
ples, and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Charles  S.  Pomeroy,  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  The  programme  was  as  follows : 

GARFIELD    OBSEQUIES. 

Sept.  26,  1881,  Cleveland. 

Services  at  Pavilion. 

The  Hon.  J.  P.  Robison,  presiding. 

Singing  by  the  Cleveland  Vocal  Society. 

Reading  of  Scriptures  by  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  G.  T.  Bedell. 
Prayer  by  a  representative  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Con- 
ference in  session  in  Painesville. 
Singing  by  the  Cleveland  Vocal  Society. 
Address  by  the  Rev.  I.  Errett,  of  Cincinnati. 
Hymn  to  be  read  by  the  Rev.  Jabez  Hall,  of  the  Euclid  Avenue 
Christian  Church,  and  sung  by  the  Cleveland 

Vocal  Society. 
Prayer  and  Benediction  by  the  Rev.  Charles  S.  Pomeroy. 

Services  at  Lake  View  Cemetery. 
Remarks  by  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Jones,  Chaplain  of  the  Forty-second 

Regiment. 
Singing  by  the  Cleveland  German  vocal  societies. 

President  Garfield's  favorite  ode. 
Prayer  and  Benediction  by  President  B.  A.  Hinsdale. 

At  10.40  o'clock  the  relatives  and  friends  and  distinguished 
persons  in  the  reserved  seats  were  in  their  places,  and  Dr.  Robi- 
son arose  and  said,  "  The  exercises  will  be  opened  now  by 
singing  by  the  Vocal  Society  of  Cleveland."  When  the  singing 
was  ended  Bishop  Bedell  read  the  first  and  second  verses  of  the 
fourteenth  chapter  of  Job,  the  first  four  verses  of  the  90th  Psalm, 


320  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

a  large  portion  of  the  fifteenth  chapter  of  First  Corinthians,  and 
the  13th  verse  of  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  Revelations.  These 
passages  were  read  clearly  and  impressively.  The  prayer  which 
followed  was  offered  by  the  Rev.  Ross  M.  Houghton,  over 
whose  head  another  clergyman  held  an  umbrella. 

"  0  God,  our  Father,  we  bow  before  Thee  with  the  weight 
of  a  great  sorrow  upon  our  hearts.  Our  beloved  President  is 
dead,  and  all  our  hopes  which  depended  on  his  wisdom  and  his 
jntegrity  for  their  fulfilment  are  blighted.  Just  why  Thou  hast 
suffered  this  sore  trial  to  come  upon  us  we  cannot  tell,  for  as 
Thou  hast  not  informed  us  of  the  secrets  of  Thy  government, 
Thy  thoughts  are  not  our  thoughts,  Thy  ways  are  not  our  ways. 
We  bow  in  humble  submission  to  Thy  will,  and  we  pray  for 
divine  help  that  we  may  not,  for  one  moment  even,  doubt  Thy 
wisdom  or  love.  May  the  dark  clouds  that  hang  over  us  burst 
in  blessing  on  our  heads.  O  God,  we  acknowledge  our  sins 
and  implore  Thy  mercy ;  we  rest  in  Thy  love,  and  we  trust  Thee 
;o  do  for  us  all  that  is  wisest  and  all  that  is  best.  We  pray, 
O  God,  that  this  great  disappointment  and  this  great  grief  may 
be  for  the  nation's  good  and  Thine  own  everlasting  glory.  We 
rejoice  in  the  light  from  Thy  throne,  which  already  begins  to 
dispel  our  darkness,  and  we  believe  that  although  the  earnest 
prayer  of  this  nation  for  the  recovery  of  our  President  has  not 
been  granted,  still  Thou  might  not  fail  in  Thine  infinite  mercy 
and  in  Thine  infinite  love,  through  his  death,  to  bring  to  us 
blessings  more  available.  O  God,  we  thank  Thee  for  the  no- 
ble, grand  character  of  our  departed  President,  which  stood  out 
so  prominent  before  the  nation  and  before  the  world ;  and  we  pray 
that  the  righteousness  which  he  loved  and  which  he  exemplified 
may  prevail  in  all  the  land.  Amid  all  changes,  Thou  only  art 
the  abiding  One.  The  world  and  the  things  of  the  world  are 
passing  away,  but  in  the  possession  of  Thy  love  we  are  safe  and 
secure.  Hide  us  there,  O  God,  till  all  earth's  calamities  be 
over  and  past.  Regard  in  mercy,  we  pray  Thee,  the  aged 
mother,  the  devoted  wife,  and  orphan  children  of  our  departed 
ruler,  as  their  hearts  are  overwhelmed.  O  compassionate 
Saviour,  draw  them  to  Thyself ;  may  they  rest  upon  Thy 
bosom ;  may  they  find  peace  and  hope  and  joy  in  the  fulfil- 
ment of  Thy  precious  promises.  May  the  mantle  of  the  noble 
father  fall  upon  those  worthy  sons,  and  may  every  member  of 
this  stricken  family  be  able  to  say  through  the  inspiration  of 


PEE8IDENT  GAEFIELD.  321 

love  and  submission,  '  Father,  Thy  will,  not  mine,  be  done ! ' 
Grant,  O  God !  that  this  calamity,  this  great  affliction,  may 
draw  this  family  and  this  suffering  nation  to  a  nearer  relation- 
ship and  a  more  loving  fellowship  with  Thee,  and  amid  the 
mysteries  of  seemingly  conflicting  dispensations,  grant  that  we 
may  look  forward  by  faith  to  the  day  when  we  shall  hear  Thy 
voice  say,  'Said  I  not  unto  them,  If  thou  wouldst  believe  thou 
shouldst  see  and  live  '  ?  Let  also  Thy  blessings,  rich  and  full, 
rest  upon  Thy  servant  who  has  been  called  upon  to  fulfill  the 
grave  responsibilities  of  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  nation  so  sud- 
denly and  unexpectedly.  Bless  his  Cabinet.  Bless  all  who  are 
associated  with  him  m  —e  affairs  of  this  Government.  May 
they  be  men  after  Thine  own  heart.  May  we  be,  and  continue 
to  be,  despite  onr  calamities,  a  prosperous  and  happy  people. 
Prepare  us  with  Thy  divine  help  and  divine  blessing  for  the 
further  duties  of  this  solemn  hour,  and  grant  to  us  when  we  lay 
aside  all  that  is  mortal  and  all  that  remains  of  our  beloved 
brother  in  the  silent  grave,  it  may  be  with  the  blessed  hope  of 
the  resurrection  from  the  dead  where  we  shall  be  forever  with 
the  Lord.  Guide  us  by  Thy  counsel ;  afterwards  receive  us  to 
Thine  excellent  glory.  We  ask  it  through  Christ  the  Lord. 
Amen." 

During  this  prayer  the  fire-alarm  sounded.  The  Ashtabula 
Light  Artillery  had  begun  to  fire  minute  guns  in  Lake  View 
Park,  and  from  this  time  on  the  reports  were  plainly  heard  on 
the  square. 

THE   REV.    DR.    ERRETl's    ADDRESS. 

The  address  made  by  the  Rev.  Isaac  Errett  did  not  depend 
for  effect  upon  the  graces  of  oratory  or  the  beauties  of  rhetoric. 
It  was  a  plain  and  earnest  review  of  the  life  and  work  of  the 
late  President,  an  appeal  to  the  living  to  profit  by  the  lessons  of 
his  death,  and  a  prayer  that  the  stricken  family  might  find  com- 
fort in  communion  with  God.  His  text  was  as  follows : 

"  And  the  archers  shot  at  King  Josiah,  and  the  King  said  to 
his  servants,  Have  me  away,  for  I  am  sore  wounded." 

"  His  servants,  therefore,  took  him  out  of  that  chariot  and 
put  him  in  the  second  chariot  that  he  had,  and  they  brought 
him  to  Jerusalem,  and  he  died  and  was  buried  in  one  of  the 
sepulchres  of  his  fathers,  and  all  Judah  and  Jerusalem  mourned 
for  Josiah. 
14* 


322  THE  ASSASSINATION  Off 

"  And  Jeremiah  lamented  for  Josiah,  and  all  the  singing  men 
and  the  singing  women  spake  of  Josiah  in  their  lamentations, 
and  made  them  an  ordinance  in  Israel,  and,  behold,  they  are 
written  in  the  Lamentations. 

"  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Josiah  and  his  goodness  accord- 
ing to  that  which  was  written  in  the  law  of  the  Lord. 

"  And  his  deeds  first  and  last,  behold,  they  are  written  in  the 
Book  of  the  Kings  of  Israel  and  of  Judah. 

"  For  behold,  the  Lord,  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  doth  take  away 
from  Jerusalem  and  from  Judah  the  stay  and  the  staff;  the 
whole  stay  of  bread  and  the  whole  stay  of  water ;  the  mighty 
man  and  the  man  of  war,  and  the  prophet,  and  the  ancient,  the 
captain  of  fifty,  and  the  honorable  man,  and  the  counsellor,  and 
the  cunning  artificer,  and  the  eloquent  orator. 

"  The  voice  said, '  Cry,'  and  he  said, '  What  shall  I  cry  ? '  All 
flesh  is  grass,  and  all  the  goodliness  thereof  is  as  the  flower  of 
the  field.  The  grass  withereth,  the  flower  fadeth,  because  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  bloweth  upon  it.  Surely  the  people  is  grass, 
the  grass  withereth,  the  flower  fadeth,  but  the  word  of  our  God 
shall  stand  forever." 

Dr.  Errett  spoke  as  follows : 

"  This  is  a  time  for  mourning  that  has  no  parallel  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  world.  Death  is  constantly  occurring  every  day 
and  every  hour,  and  almost  every  moment  some  life  expires  and 
somewhere  there  are  broken  hearts  and  desolate  homes;  but  we 
have  learned  to  accept  the  unavoidable,  and  we  pause  a  moment 
and  drop  a  tear  and  away  again  to  the  excitements  and  ambi- 
tions of  life  and  forget  it  all.  Sometimes  a  life  is  called  for 
that  plunges  a  large  community  in  mourning,  and  sometimes 
whole  nations  mourn  the  loss  of  a  good  king,  or  a  wise  states- 
man, or  an  eminent  sage,  or  a  great  philosopher,  or  a  philan- 
thropist, or  a  martyr  who  has  laid  his  life  upon  the  altar  of 
truth  and  won  for  himself  an  envious  immortality  among  the  sons 
of  men.  But  there  was  never  a  mourning  in  all  the  world  like 
unto  this  mourning.  I  am  not  speaking  extravagantly  when  I 
say  this,  for  I  am  told  it  is  the  result  of  calculations  carefully 
made  from  such  data  as  are  in  possession  that  certainly  not  less 
than  300,000,000  of  the  human  race  share  in  the  sadness  and 
the  lamentations  and  sorrow  and  mourning  that  belong  to  this 
occasion  here  to-day.  It  is  a  chill  shadow  of  a  fearful  calamity 
that  has  extended  itself  into  every  home  in  ah1  this  land,  and 


PRESIDENT  OARFIELD.  323 

into  every  heart,  and  that  has  projected  itself  over  vast  seas 
and  oceans  into  distant  lands,  and  awakened  the  sincerest  and 
profoundest  sympathy  with  us  in  the  hearts  of  the  good  people 
of  the  nations,  and  among  all  people.  It  is  worth  while,  my 
friends^  to  pause  a  moment  and  to  ask  why  this  is.  It  is, 
doubtless,  attributable  in  part  to  the  wondrous  triumphs  of  sci- 
ence and  art  within  the  present  century,  by  means  of  which 
time  and  space  have  been  so  far  conquered  that  nations,  once 
far  distant  and  necessarily  alienated  from  each  other,  are 
brought  into  close  communication,  and  the  various  ties  of 
commerce  and  of  social  interests  and  of  religious  interests  bring 
them  into  contact  of  fellowship  that  could  not  have  been  known 
in  former  times.  It  is  likewise,  unquestionably,  partly  due  to 
the  fact  that  this  nation  of  ours  has  grown  to  such  wondrous 
might  and  power  before  the  whole  earth,  and  which  is,  in  fact, 
the  hope  of  the  world  in  all  that  relates  to  the  highest  civiliza- 
tion— that  sympathy  with  this  nation  and  respect  for  this  great 
power  leads  to  these  offerings  of  condolence  and  expressions  of 
sympathy  and  grief  from  the  various  nations  of  the  earth,  and 
because  they  have  learned  to  respect  and  recognize  that  the 
nation  is  stricken  in  the  fatal  blow  that  has  taken  away  our 
President  from  us.  And  yet  this  will  by  no  means  account  for 
this  marvellous  and  world-wide  sympathy  of  which  we  are  speak- 
ing. Yet  it  cannot  be  attributed  to  mere  intellectual  greatness, 
for  there  have  been,  and  there  are,  other  great  men ;  and,  ac- 
knowledging all  that  the  most  enthusiastic  heart  could  claim  for 
our  beloved  leader,  it  is  but  fair  to  say  that  there  have  been 
more  eminent  educators,  there  have  been  greater  soldiers,  there 
have  been  more  skilful  and  experienced  and  powerful  legisla- 
tors and  leaders  of  mighty  parties  and  political  forces.  There 
is  no  one  department  in  which  he  has  more  eminence  where  the 
world  may  not  point  to  others  who  attained  higher  and  more 
intellectual  greatness.  It  might  not  be  considered  more  right- 
eously here  than  in  many  other  cases;  yet  perhaps  it  is  rare  in 
the  history  of  nations  that  any  one  man  has  combined  so  much 
of  excellence  in  all  those  various  departments,  and  who  as  an 
educator  and  a  lawyer  and  a  legislator  and  a  soldier  and  a  party 
chieftain  and  ruler  has  done  so  well,  so  thoroughly  well,  in  all 
departments,  and  brought  out  such  successful  results  as  to  in- 
spire confidence  and  command  respect  and  approval  in  every  path 
of  life  in  which  he  has  walked  and  in  every  department  of  public 


324  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

activity  which  he  has  occupied.  Yet  I  think  when  we  come  to 
a  proper  estimate  of  his  character  and  seek  after  the  secret  of 
this  world-wide  sympathy  and  affection,  we  shall  find  it  rather 
in  the  richness  and  integrity  of  his  moral  nature,  and  in  that 
sincerity,  and  in  that  transparent  honesty,  in  that  truthfulness, 
that  lay  the  basis  for  everything  of  greatness  to  which  we  do 
honor  to-day. 

"  I  may  state  here  what  perhaps  is  not  generally  known  as  an 
illustration  of  this.  When  James  A.  Garfield  was  yet  a  mere 
lad,  in  this  county  a  series  of  religious  meetings  were  held  in 
one  of  the  towns  of  Cuyahoga  County  by  a  minister  by  no 
means  attractive  as  an  orator,  possessing  none  of  the  graces  of 
an  orator,  and  marked  only  by  entire  sincerity,  by  good  reason- 
ing powers,  and  by  earnestness  in  seeking  to  win  souls  from  sin 
to  righteousness.  The  lad  Garfield  attended  these  meetings  for 
many  nights,  and  after  listening  to  the  sermons  night  after 
night,  he  went  one  day  to  the  minister  and  said  to  him :  '  Sir,  I 
have  been  listening  to  your  preaching  night  after  night,  and 
I  am  fully  persuaded  that  if  these  things  you  say  are  true  it  is 
the  duty  and  the  highest  interest  of  every  man  of  respectability, 
and  especially  of  every  young  man,  to  accept  that  religion  and 
seek  to  be  a  man.  But,  really,  I  don't  know  whether  this  thing 
is  true  or  not.  I  can't  say  that  I  disbelieve  it,  but  I  dare  not 
say  that  I  fully  and  honestly  believe  it.  If  I  were  sure  that  it 
was  true  I  would  most  gladly  give  it  my  heart  and  my  life.' 
So,  after  a  long  talk,  the  minister  preached  that  night  on  the 
text,  'What  is  truth?'  and  proceeded  to  show  that,  notwith- 
standing all  the  various  and  conflicting  theories  and  opinions  in 
ethical  science,  and  notwithstanding  all  the  various  and  conflict- 
ing opinions  in  the  world,  there  was  one  assured  and  eternal 
alliance  for  every  human  soul  in  Jesus  Christ ;  that  every  soul 
was  safe  with  Jesus  Christ;  that  He  never  would  mislead  ;  that 
any  young  man  giving  Him  his  hand  and  heart  and  walking  in 
His  pathway  would  not  go  astray ;  and  that,  whatever  might  be 
the  solution  of  ten  thousand  insoluble  mysteries,  at  the  end  of  all 
things  the  man  who  loved  Jesus  Christ  and  walked  after  the 
footsteps  of  Jesus,  and  realized  in  spirit  and  life  the  pure  morals 
and  the  sweet  piety,  was  safe,  if  safety  there  were  in  the  uni- 
verse of  God ;  safe,  whatever  else  were  safe ;  safe,  whatever 
else  might  prove  unworthy  and  perish  forever.  And  he  seized 
upon  it  after  due  reflection,  and  came  forward  and  gave  hia 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  325 

hand  to  the  minister  in  pledge  of  his  acceptance  of  the  guidance 
of  Christ  for  his  life,  and  turned  his  back  upon  the  sins  of  the 
world  forever.  The  boy  is  father  to  the  man,  and  that  pure 
honesty  and  integrity,  and  that  fearless  spirit  to  inquire,  and 
that  brave  surrender  of  all  the  charms  of  sin  to  convictions  of 
duty  and  right,  went  with  him  from  that  boyhood  throughout 
his  life,  and  crowned  him  with  the  honors  that  were  so  cheer- 
fully awarded  to  him  from  all  hearts  over  this  vast  land.  There 
was  another  thing — he  passed  all  the  conditions  of  virtuous  life 
between  the  log  cabin  in  Cuyahoga  and  the  White  House,  and 
in  that  wonderfully  rich  and  varied  experience,  moving  up  from 
higher  to  higher,  he  has  touched  every  heart  in  all  this  land  at 
some  point  or  other,  and  he  became  the  representative  of  all 
hearts  and  lives  in  this  land  ;  not  only  the  teacher  but  the  rep- 
resentative of  all  virtues,  for  he  knew  their  wants  and  he  knew 
their  condition,  and  he  established  legitimately  the  ties  of 
brotherhood  with  every  man  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 
I  take  it  that  this  vow,  lying  at  the  basis  of  his  character,  this 
rock  on  which  his  whole  life  rested,  followed  up  by  the  perpet- 
ual and  enduring  industry  that  marked  his  whole  career,  made 
him  at  once  the  honest  and  the  capable  man  who  invited  and 
received  in  every  act  of  his  life  the  confidence  and  trust  and 
love  of  all  who  learned  to  know  him. 

"There  is  yet  one  other  thing  that  I  ought  to  mention  here. 
There  was  such  an  admirable  harmony  of  all  his  powers ;  there 
was  such  a  beautiful  adjustment  of  the  physical,  intellectual,  and 
moral  in  his  being;  there  was  such  an  equitable  distribution  of 
the  physical,  intellectual,  and  moral  forces,  that  his  nature  looked 
out  every  way  to  get  at  sympathy  with  everything,  and  found 
about  equal  delight  in  all  pursuits  and  all  studies,  so  that  he  be- 
came, through  his  industry  and  honest  ambition,  really  encyclo- 
paedic. There  was  scarcely  any  single  chord  that  you  could 
touch  to  which  he  would  not  respond  in  a  way  that  made  you 
know  that  his  hand  had  swept  it  skilfully  long  ago,  and  there 
was  no  topic  you  could  bring  before  him,  there  was  no  object 
you  could  present  to  him,  that  you  did  not  wonder  at  the  rich- 
ness and  fullness  of  information  somehow  gathered ;  for  his 
eyes  were  always  open,  and  his  heart  was  always  open,  and  his 
brain  was  ever  busy  and  equally  interested  in  everything — the 
minute  and  the  vast,  the  high  and  the  low,  in  all  classes  and 
creeds  of  men.  He  thus  gathered  up  that  immense  store  and 


326  THE  ASSASSINA  TION  OF 

that  immense  variety  of  the  most  valuable  and  practical  knowl- 
edge that  made  him  a  man,  not  in  one  department,  but  all 
around,  everywhere  in  his  whole  beautiful  and  symmetrical  life 
and  character. 

"  But,  my  friends,  the  solemnity  of  this  occasion  forbids  any 
further  investigation  in  that  line,  any  further  details  of  a  very 
remarkable  life,  for  with  these  details  you  are  familiar,  or,  if 
not,  they  will  come  before  you  through  various  channels  here- 
after. It  is  my  duty  in  the  presence  of  the  dead,  and  in  view 
of  all  the  solemnities  that  rest  upon  us,  now  in  a  solemn  burial 
service,  to  call  your  attention  to  the  great  lesson  taught  you, 
and  by  which  we  ought  to  become  wiser,  purer,  and  better  men. 
And  I  want  to  say,  therefore,  first  of  all,  that  there  comes  a  voice 
from  the  dead  to  this  entire  nation,  and  not  only  to  the  people, 
but  to  those  in  places  of  trust,  to  our  legislators  and  our  gover- 
nors and  our  military  men  and  our  leaders  of  parties,  and  'all 
classes  and  creeds  in  the  Union.  The  great  lesson  to  which  I 
desire  to  call  your  attention  can  be  expressed  in  a  few  words. 
James  A.  Garfield  went  through  his  whole  public  life  without 
surrendering  for  a  single  moment  his  Christian  integrity,  his 
moral  integrity,  or  his  love  for  the  spiritual.  Coming  into  the 
exciting  conflicts  of  political  life  with  a  nature  as  capable  as  any 
of  feeling  the  force  of  every  temptation,  with  temptations  to  un- 
holy ambition,  with  unlawful  prizes  within  his  reach,  with  every 
inducement  to  surrender  all  his  religious  faith  and  be  known 
merely  as  a  successful  man  of  the  world,  from  first  to  last  he  has 
manfully  adhered  to  his  religious  convictions  and  found  the 
more  praise,  and  gathers  in  his  death  all  the  pure  inspiration  of 
the  hope  of  everlasting  life.  I  am  very  well  aware  of  a  feeling 
among  political  men,  greatly  shared  in  all  over  the  land  by  those 
who  engage  in  political  life,  that  a  man  cannot  afford  to  be  a 
politician  and  a  Christian ;  that  he  must  necessarily  forego  his 
obligations  to  God  and  be  absorbed  in  the  different  measures  of 
policy  that  may  be  necessary  to  enable  him  to  achieve  the  de- 
sired result.  Now,  my  friends,  I  call  attention  to  this  grand 
life  as  teaching  a  lesson  altogether  invaluable  just  at  this  point. 
I  want  you  to  look  at  that  man.  I  want  you  to  think  of  him 
when,  in  his  early  manhood,  he  was  so  openly  committed  to_ 
Christ  and  the  principles  of  the  Christian  religion  that  he  was 
frequently  found  among  a  people  who  allow  a  large  liberty,  oc- 
cupying a  pulpit  You  are  within  a  few  miles  of  the  spot  where 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  327 

the  great  congregations  gathered,  when  he  was  yet  almost  a 
boy,  just  emerging  into  manhood,  week  after  week,  and  hung 
upon  the  words  that  fell  from  his  lips  with  wonder,  admiration, 
and  enthusiasm.  It  was  when  he  was  known  to  be  occupying 
this  position  that  he  was  invited  to  become  a  candidate  for  the 
Ohio  State  Senate.  It  was  with  the  full  knowledge  of  all  that 
belonged  to  him,  in  his  Christian  faith  and  his  efforts  to  live  a 
Christian  life,  that  this  was  tendered  him ;  and,  without  any  re- 
sort to  any  dishonorable  means,  he  was  elected,  and  began  his 
legislative  career.  When  the  country  called  to  arms,  when  the 
Union  was  in  danger  and  his  great  heart  leaped  with  enthusi- 
asm and  was  filled  with  holiest  desire  and  ambition  to  render 
some  service  to  his  country,  it  required  no  surrender  of  the  dig- 
nity or  nobleness  of  his  Christian  life  to  secure  to  him  the  hon- 
ors that  fell  upon  him  so  thick  and  fast,  and  the  successes  that 
followed  each  other  so  rapidly  as  to  make  him  the  wonder  of 
the  world,  though  he  entered  upon  that  career  wholly  unac- 
quainted with  military  life,  and  could  only  win  his  way  by  the 
honesty  of  his  purpose  and  the  diligence  and  faithfulness  with 
which  he  seized  upon  every  opportunity  to  accomplish  the  work 
before  him.  Follow  him  from  that  time  until  he  was  called 
from  the  service  in  the  field  and  the  people  of  his  district  sent 
him  to  Congress,  their  hearts  gathering  about  him  without  any 
effort  on  his  part.  They  kept  him  there  as  long  as  he  would 
stay,  and  they  would  have  kept  him  there  yet  if  he  had  said  so. 
He  remained  there  until,  by  the  voice  of  the  people  of  this  State, 
he  was  made  Senator,  when  there  were  other  bright  and  strong 
and  grand  names — men  who  were  entitled  to  recognition  and 
reward,  and  altogether  worthy  in  every  way  to  bear  senatorial 
honors.  Yet  there  were  such  currents  of  admiration  and  sym- 
pathy and  trust  and  love  coming  in  and  centring  from  all  parts 
of  the  State  that  the  action  of  the  Legislature  at  Columbus  was 
but  the  echo  of  the  popular  voice  when,  by  acclamation,  they 
gave  him  that  place,  and  every  other  candidate  gracefully  re- 
tired. And  then  again,  when  he  went  to  Chicago  to  serve  the 
interest  of  another,  when,  as  I  knew,  his  own  ambition  was  fully 
satisfied,  and  he  had  received  that  on  which  his  heart  was  set, 
and  looked  with  more  than  gladness  to  a  path  in  life  for  which 
he  thought  his  entire  education  and  culture  had  prepared  him. 
When  wearied  out  with  every  effort  to  command  a  majority  for 
any  candidate,  the  hearts  of  that  great  convention  turned  on 


328  THE  ASSASSINATION  Off 

every  side  to  James  A.  Garfield.  In  spite  of  himself  and 
against  every  feeling,  wish,  and  prayer  of  his  own  heart,  this 
honor  was  crowded  upon  him,  and  the  nation  responded  with 
holy  enthusiasm  from  one  end  of  the  land  to  the  other,  and  in 
the  same  honorable  way  he  was  elected  to  the  chief  magistracy 
under  circumstances  which,  however  great  the  bitterness  of 
party  conflict,  caused  all  parties  not  only  to  acquiesce,  but  to 
feel  proud  in  the  consciousness  that  we  had  a  chief  magistrate 
of  whom  they  need  not  be  ashamed  before  the  world,  and  unto 
whom  they  could  safely  confide  the  destinies  of  this  mighty  na- 
tion. Now,  gentlemen,  let  me  say  to  you  all,  those  of  you  oc- 
cupying great  places  of  trust  who  are  here  to-day,  and  the  mass 
of  those  who  are  called  upon  to  discharge  the  responsibilities  of 
citizenship  year  by  year,  the  most  invaluable  lesson  that  we 
learn  from  the  life  of  our  beloved  departed  President  is,  that 
not  only  is  it  not  incompatible  with  success,  but  it  is  the  surest 
means  of  success,  to  consecrate  heart  and  life  to  that  which  is 
true  and.  right,  and  above  all  question  of  mere  policy,  wedding 
the  soul  to  truth  and  right  and  the  God  of  truth  and  righteous- 
ness in  holy  wedlock  never  to  be  dissolved.  I  feel  just  at  this 
point  that  we  need  this -lesson. 

"  This  great,  wondrous  land  of  ours,  this  mighty  nation  in  its 
marvellous  upward  career,  with  its  ever-increasing  power,  open- 
ing its  arms  to  receive  from  all  lands  people  of  all  languages,  all 
religions,  and  all  conditions,  and  hoping  in  the  warm  embrace 
of  political  brotherhood  to  blend  them  with  us,  to  melt  them 
into  a  common  mass,  needs  this  lesson  of  virtue,  so  that  when 
melted  and  run  over  again  in  a  new  type  of  manhood  it  will 
incorporate  all  the  various  nations  of  the  earth  in  one  grand 
brotherhood,  presenting  before  the  nations  of  the  world  a  spec- 
tacle of  freedom  and  strength  and  prosperity  and  power  beyond 
anything  before  known.  Let  me  say  the  permanency  of  the 
work  and  its  continual  enlargement  must  depend  on  our  main- 
taining virtue  as  well  as  intelligence,  and  making  dominant  in 
all  the  land  those  principles  of  pure  morality  that  Jesus  Christ 
has  taught  us.  Just  as  we  cling  to  that  we  are  safe,  and  just  as 
we  forget  and  depart  from  that  we  proceed  toward  disaster  and 
ruin.  And  when  we  see  what  has  been  accomplished  in  a 
mighty  life  like  this  we  have  an  instance  of  the  power  of  truth 
and  right  which  spreads  from  heart  to  heart,  and  from  life  to 
life,  and  from  State  to  State,  and  finally  from  nation  to  nation, 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  32Q 

until,  these  pure  principles  reigning  everywhere,  God  shall  real 
ize  His  great  purpose,  so  long  ago  expressed  to  us  in  the  words 
of  prophecy,  that  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  are  become  the 
kingdoms  of  our  God  and  of  his  Christ,  so  that  over  the  dead 
body  of  James  A.  Garfield  may  all  the  people  join  hands  and 
swear  by  the  Eternal  God  that  they  will  dismiss  all  unworthy 
purposes  and  love  and  worship  the  true  and  the  right,  and  in 
the  inspiration  of  the  grand  principles  that  Jesus  Christ  taught 
seek  to  realize  the  grand  ends  to  which  His  word  of  truth  and 
right  continually  point  us. 

"  I  cannot  prolong  my  remarks  to  any  great  extent.  There  are 
two  or  three  things  that  I  must  say,  however,  before  I  close. 
There  is  a  voice  to  the  Church  in  this  death  that  I  cannot  pause 
now  to  speak  of  particularly.  There  is  a  tenderer  and  more 
awful  voice  that  speaks  to  the  members  of  the  family  ;  to  that 
sacred  circle  within  which  his  really  true  life  and  character  were 
better  developed  and  more  perfectly  known  than  anywhere  else. 
What  words  can  tell  the  weight  of  anguish  that  rests  npon  the 
hearts  of  those  who  so  dearly  loved  him  and  shared  with  him 
the  sweet  sanctities  of  his  home ;  the  pure  life,  the  gentleness, 
the  kindness,  and  the  manliness  that  pervaded  all  his  actions  and 
made  his  home  a  charming  one  for  its  inmates  and  for  all  who 
shared  in  its  hospitalities?  It  is  of  all  things  the  saddest  and 
most  grievous  now  that  those  bound  to  him  by  the  tenderest  ties 
of  the  home  circle  are  called  to  yield  him  to  the  grave ;  to  hear 
that  voice  of  love  no  more ;  to  behold  that  manly  form  no 
longer  moving  in  the  sweet  circle  of  home ;  to  receive  no  more 
the  benediction  from  the  loving  hand  of  the  father  that  rested 
upon  the  heads  of  his  children  and  commanded  the  blessings  of 
God  upon  them ;  the  dear  old  mother  who  realizes  here  to-day 
that  her  fourscore  years  are  after  all  but  labor  and  sorrow,  to 
whom  we  owe,  back  of  all  I  have  spoken  of,  the  education  and 
training  that  made  him  what  he  was,  and  who  has  been  lc<l 
from  that  humble  home  in  the  wilderness  side  by  side  with  him 
in  all  his  elevation,  and  assured  him  the  triumph  and  the  glor\ 
that  came  to  him,  step  by  step,  as  he  mounted  up  from  high  t<> 
higher,  to  receive  the  highest  honors  that  the  land  could  be- 
stow upon  him;  left  behind  him,  lingering  on  the  shore,  while 
he  has  passed  over  to  the  other  side ;  what  words  can  express 
the  sympathy  that  is  due  to  her,  or  the  consolation  that  can 
strengthen  her  heart  and  give  her  courage  to  bear  this  bitter  be 


330  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

reavement  ?  And  the  wife,  who  began  with  him  in  her  young 
womanhood,  and  has  bravely  kept  step  with  him,  right  along 
through  all  his  wondrous  career,  and  who  has  been  not  only  his 
wife  but  his  friend  and  his  counsellor  through  all  their  succession 
of  prosperities  and  this  increase  of  influence  and  power,  and 
\\lio,  when  the  day  of  calamity  came,  was  there,  his  ministering 
angel,  his  prophetess,  and  his  priestess,  when  the  circumstances 
were  such  as  to  forbid  ministrations  from  other  hands,  speaking 
to  him  the  words  of  cheer  which  sustained  him  through  that 
long  fearful  struggle  for  life,  and  watching  over  him  when  his 
dying  vision  rested  on  her  beloved  form,  and  sought  from  her 
eyes  an  answering  gaze  that  should  speak  when  words  could  not 
be  spoken,  of  a  love  that  has  never  died,  and  that  now  must  be 
immortal.  And  the  children,  who  have  grown  up  to  an  age 
when  they  can  remember  all  that  belonged  to  him,  left  father- 
less in  a  world  like  this,  yet  surrounded  with  a  nation's  sympa- 
thy and  with  a  world's  affection,  and  able  to  treasure  in  their 
hearts  the  grand  lessons  of  his  noble  and  wondrous  life,  may  be 
assured  that  the  eyes  of  the  nation  are  upon  them,  and  that  the 
hearts  of  the  people  go  out  after  them.  While  there  is  much 
to  support  and  encourage,  it  is  still  a  sad  thing,  and  calls  for 
our  deepest  sympathy,  that  they  have  lost  such  a  father  and  are 
left  to  make  their  way  through  this  rough  world  without  his 
guiding  hand  or  his  wise  counsels.  But  that  which  makes  this 
terrible  to  them  now  is  just  that  which,  as  the  years  go  by,  will 
make  very  sweet  and  bright  and  joyous  memories  to  fill  the  com- 
ing years.  By  the  very  loss  which  they  deplore,  and  by  all  the 
loving  actions  that  bound  them  in  blessed  sympathy  in  the 
home  circle,  they  will  live  over  again  ten  thousand  times  all  the 
sweet  life  of  the  past,  and  though  dead  he  will  still  live  with 
them,  and  though  his  tongue  be  dumb  in  the  grave  it  will  speak 
anew  to  them  ten  thousand  beautiful  lessons  of  love  and  right- 
eousness and  truth.  May  God,  in  His  infinite  mercy,  fold  them 
in  His  arms  and  bless  them  as  they  need  in  this  hour  of  thick 
darkness,  and  bear  them  safely  through  what  remains  of  the 
troubles  and  sorrows  of  their  earthly  pilgrimage  unto  the  ever- 
lasting home  where  there  shall  be  no  more  death  nor  crying, 
neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain,  for  the  former  things  shall 
have  forever  passed  away.  We  commit  you,  beloved  friends, 
to  the  arms  and  the  care  of  the  everlasting  Father,  who  has 
promised  to  be  the  God  of  the  widow  and  the  Father  of  the 


PRESIDENT  QARFIELD.  331 

fatherless  in  His  holy  habitation,  and  whose  sweet  promise  goes 
with  us  through  all  the  dark  and  stormy  paths  of  life — '  I  will 
never  leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee.' 

"  I  have  discharged  now  the  solemn  covenant  and  trust  reposed 
in  me  many  years  ago,  in  harmony  with  a  friendship  that  has 
never  known  a  cloud,  a  confidence  that  has  never  trembled,  and 
a  love  that  has  never  changed.  Farewell,  my  friend  and  broth- 
er, thou  hast  fought  a  good  fight ;  thou  hast  finished  thy  course  ; 
thou  hast  kept  thy  faith  ;  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  thee  a 
crown  of  righteousness  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  Judge, 
will  give  to  thee  in  that  day  ;  and  not  unto  thee  alone,  but  unto 
all  them  who  love  his  appearing." 

Dr.  Errett  was  listened  to  with  close  and  earnest  attention. 
He  spoke  for  forty  minutes,  and  when  he  closed  a  hush  for  a 
moment  hung  over  the  vast  audience. 

The  Rev.  Jabez  Hall  then  read  General  Garfield's  favorite 
hymn,  which  was  beautifully  sung  by  the  Vocal  Society : 

Ho,  reapers  of  life's  harvest, 

Why  stand  with  rusted  blade 
Until  the  night  draws  round  the 

And  day  begins  to  fade? 
Why  stand  ye  idle,  waiting 

For  reapers  more  to  come? 
The  golden  morn  is  passing, 

Why  sit  ye  idle,  dumb? 

Thrust  in  your  sharpened  sickle 

And  gather  in  the  grain ; 
The  night  is  fast  approaching 

And  soon  will  come  again. 
The  Master  calls  for  reapers, 

And  shall  he  call  in  vain? 
Shall  sheaves  lie  there,  ungathered 

And  waste  upon  the  plain? 

Mount  up  the  heights  of  wisdom 

And  crush  each  error  low. 
Keep  back  no  words  of  knowledge 

That  human  hearts  should  know. 
Be  faithful  to  thy  mission 

In  service  of  thy  Lord, 
And  then  a  golden  chaplet 

Shall  be  thy  just  reward. 


33S  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


DR.    POMEROY  S    PRAYER. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Pomeroy  then  closed  the  ceremonies  with  the 
following  prayer : 

"  Eternal  and  ever-blessed  God,  thou  alone  art  great.  Clouds 
and  darkness  are  round  about  thee.  Righteousness  and  judg- 
ment are  the  habitation  of  thy  throne.  The  eyes  of  all  the 
world  are  upon  us  to-day  as  solemnly  we  prepare  to  lay  away 
the  remains  of  our  beloved  chieftain  in  the  tomb.  The  hearts 
of  fifty  millions  are  throbbing  with  our  hearts  as  we  pass 
through  these  solemn  obsequies.  And  yet,  O  God,  more  im- 
pressive to  us  than  all  is  the  fact  that,  though  we  are  poor  and 
needy,  the  great  God  thinketh  upon  us.  We  thank  thee, 
gracious  Father,  that  we  sorrow  not  to-day  as  those  who  are 
without  hope,  for  we  know  that  since  Jesus  died  and  rose  again 
even  so  them,  also,  who  sleep  in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with  him. 
We  thank  thee,  Father,  for  the  very  existence  of  such  a  man 
as  him  we  mourn  to-day.  We  thank  thee  that  thou  didst  give 
him  to  our  love,  and  we  do  bless  thee,  above  all,  that  thou 
hast  now  bestowed  upon  him  the  greatest  promotion  of  his  ad- 
vancing life,  even  a  seat  at  thy  right  hand  in  the  glory  of  thy 
heavenly  throne.  Abide  with  us,  gracious  God;  let  thy  gracious 
blessing  rest  upon  these  whose  sorrow  must  be  so  much  more 
intimate  and  intense  than  ours;  upon  this  mother  and  this 
widow  and  the  fatherless  children,  whom  we  commit  in  all  confi- 
dence to  thy  divine  and  gracious  care.  O  God!  O  God!  be 
our  shield.  We  thank  thee  for  what  thou  hast  done  for  thy 
people  through  these  hours  of  darkness  that  have  come  out  in 
light  through  thy  blessing  in  the  hope  we  entertain  for  him  and 
for  ourselves.  We  bless  thee  that  thou  hast  crushed  out  skep- 
ticism under  the  power  of  this  sorrow ;  that  thou  hast  led  the 
people  to  press  toward  the  throne  of  heavenly  grace  in  suppli- 
cation, and  that  thou  art  ready  still  further  to  bless  us  and  the 
nation  whose  God  is  the  Lord.  Now  abide  with  us  our  Father ; 
abide  with  us  even  as  a  people,  and  at  last  take  us  all ;  and  as 
this  great  flood  of  humanity  pours  over  the  brink  of  death  into 
the  gulf  of  eternity,  grant  that  we  may,  like  him  for  whom  we 
grieve  to-day,  be  received  into  everlasting  habitation,  to  be  for- 
ever with  the  Lord,  and  all  the  praise  shall  be  thine,  through 
Jesus  Christ,  our  Saviour.  Amen. 

"  And  now,  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  love  of 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  333 

God,  our  Father,  and  the  communion  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  be  and 
remain  with  you  all.  Amen." 

THE    MARCH    TO    LAKE    VIEW    CEMETERY. 

'  The  long  column  had  formed  in  Superior  Street  and  Euclid 
Avenue,  and  now  the  body  was  to  be  taken  from  the  catafalque 
and  placed  in  the  funeral  car.  The  people  who  had  been  ad- 
mitted to  the  square  formed  on  both  sides  of  the  passage  from 
the  catafalque  to  the  gate,  and  the  Marine  Band  played  tenderly 
"  Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee,"  while  the  artillerymen  approached 
the  coffin.  Reaching  the  foot  of  the  inclined  plane,  they  halted. 
Near  the  head  of  the  coffin  was  a  sorrowful  group  of  the  late 
President's  dearest  friends.  There  were  Gen.  Swairn,  Col. 
Rockwell  and  Secretary  Brown.  These  men  have  grown  old 
since  that  fatal  2d  of  July.  Especially  true  is  this  of  Col.  Rock- 
well. Near  them  was  Mrs.  Rockwell,  weeping,  and  Capt.  Henry 
and  William  S.  Roose,  of  Washington,  a  gentleman  who,  in 
company  with  the  undertakers,  has  had  charge  of  the  body.  In 
the  rear  of  this  group  were  the  near  relatives,  who  were  soon  to 
appear.  The  artillerymen  walked  slowly  up  the  inclined  plane, 
and  stood  at  the  head  of  the  catafalque.  The  clergymen  fol- 
lowed them.  The  coffin  was  lifted  and  placed  on  the  shoulders 
(>f  the  artillerymen,  who  bore  it  very  slowly  to  the  funeral  car, 
and  placed  it  upon  the  support  prepared  for  it  there.  While 
they  were  passing  the  Marine  Band  played  "  In  the  Sweet  By- 
and-By."  Following  the  body  and  the  undertakers  came  Dan- 
iel Spriggs,  the  late  President's  faithful  colored  servant.  The 
carriages  for  the  mourners  were  brought  to  the  foot  of  the  in- 
clined plane.  Col.  Rockwell  and  Harry  Garfield,  supporting 
Mrs.  Garfield,  and  accompanied  by  one  of  the  younger  boys, 
then  came  from  the  pavilion.  Then  came  the  President's  aged 
mother,  slowly  walking  with  her  grandson  James  and  Col.  Cor- 
bin.  The  President's  daughter,  Mollie,  weeping,  came  with  her 
mother's  father.  There  were  many  others,  including  Dr.  Boyn- 
ton,  who  has  been  deeply  affected  by  the  sufferings  and  death 
of  the  President ;  Mrs.  Rockwell,  who  had  found  it  very  diffi- 
cult to  endure  this  last  scene.  As  the  relatives  left  the  pavilion 
the  familiar  faces  of  ex-President  and  Mrs.  Hayes  were  seen 
there;  with  them  was  their  daughter  Lucy.  By  the  side  of 
the  ex-President  stood  his  former  Secretary  of  State.  Leaning 
against  one  of  the  gilded  pillars  of  the  catafalque  was  Secretary 


334  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

Elaine.  In  the  foreground,  Gen.  Swaim,  Col.  Rockwell,  and 
Secretary  Brown  remained — a  group  of  the  nearest  friends  of 
the  dead.  Then  the  members  of  the  Cabinet,  with  their  wives, 
came  down  to  their  carriages.  First  came  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Blaine,  then  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Windom,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunt,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lincoln,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  MacVeagh, 
and  Mr.  Kirkwood.  The  trio  of  devoted  friends  and  the  ex- 
President  were  the  last  who  left  the  spot  where  the  President's 
body  had  lain. 

The  grand  procession  passed  out  Superior  Street  and  Euclid 
Avenue  to  the  entrance  of  the  cemetery.  The  sidewalks  of  the 
beautiful  avenue  were  crowded  with  people,  many  of  whom  had 
come  to  the  city  from  places  many  miles  away.  The  citizens  dis- 
tributed 20,000  sandwiches  and  20,000  gallons  of  ice  water  to 
the  civil  and  military  visitors.  The  crowds  along  the  avenue  were 
so  large  that  in  some  places  they  occupied  the  private  lawns. 
Barrels  of  water  were  placed  at  short  intervals  along  the  way  for 
the  use  of  all.  The  entire  line  was  patrolled  by  soldiers  of  the 
Ohio  National  Guard.  When  the  head  of  the  column  reached 
the  black  arch  which  had  been  erected  over  the  entrance  of  the 
cemetery,  the  ranks  were  opened  and  the  body  of  the  dead 
President,  borne  upon  the  funeral  car,  passed  in  between  the 
long  ranks  of  soldiers  and  civilians.  The  head  of  the  column 
reached  the  gate  a  few  minutes  before  2  o'clock.  Upon  the 
piers  of  the  arch  were  these  inscriptions : 

"  Lay  him  to  sleep  whom  we  have  learned  to  trust." 
"Lay  him  to  sleep  whom  we  have  learned  to  love." 
"Come  to  rest." 

AT  THE  GATES  OF  THK  VAULT. 

From  the  gate  to  the  public  vault  in  which  the  body  was  to 
be  temporarily  deposited  the  way  was  guarded  by  soldiers. 
Very  few  persons  had  been  allowed  to  come  into  the  cemetery, 
and  those  who  had  come,  together  with  part  of  the  Fourteenth 
Regiment  of  the  Ohio  National  Guard,  of  Columbus,  Col. 
George  D.  Freeman,  and  the  Curry  Cadets,  of  Marysville,  Capt. 
W.  M.  Leggett,  were  gathered  at  or  near  the  vault.  In  front 
of  the  vault,  a  narrow  roadway  passes  between  two  divisions  of 
the  lake.  To  the  right  rises  the  beautiful  knoll  on  which  the 
President's  body  was  placed,  and  where  the  grand  monument  for 
which  dollar  subscriptions  are  now  being  taken  will  be  erected. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  335 

In  front  of  the  entrance  of  the  vault  was  a  black  pall  about  40 
feet  long  and  20  feet  wide.  The  ground  under  the  pall  had 
been  covered  with  evergreen  sprigs  until  it  seemed  to  wear  a 
green  carpet.  Upon  the  evergreens  the  lady  school-teachers  of 
Cleveland  had  scattered  roses,  geraniums,  and  immortelles  in 
rich  profusion.  The  flowers  were  more  plentiful  just  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  vault.  The  vault's  iron  gates  were  standing  open, 
and  the  bars  were  almost  hidden  by  smilax.  The  dark  interior 
had  been  beautified  by  rare  flowers  and  vines.  There  could  be 
seen  a  great  lyre  of  flowers,  sent  by  the  Brazilian  Legation  at 
Washington ;  a  cross  and  crown,  given  by  the  Bolivian  Legation ; 
and  a  beautiful  wreath,  the  gift  ot  the  ladies  of  Dubuque,  Iowa. 
The  people  around  the  vault  awaited  in  silence  the  arrival  of  the 
procession.  Just  opposite  the  vault  was  the  ever-present  camera 
of  the  photographer.  An  artist  was  sketching  the  vault  for  an 
illustrated  paper.  The  minute-guns  were  distinctly  heard. 

At  2.15  o'clock  the  dark  clouds  which  had  been  gathering  in 
a  threatening  manner  for  some  time  let  fall  a  shower  which 
drove  the  people  to  the  shelter  of  the  evergreens.  The  wind 
arose  and  shook  the  great  black  pall,  and  twisted  the  young 
trees  on  the  edge  of  the  lake.  A  piece  of  tarpaulin  was  hastily 
thrown  over  the  trestles  which  the  undertakers  had  brought  to 
aid  them  in  taking  the  body  from  the  car.  Men  crawled  under 
this  improvised  tent.  The  water  gathered  in  the  folds  of  the 
pall  and  threatened  to  break  it  down.  A  soldier  walked  under 
it  and  thrust  his  bayonet  through  the  cloth.  An  officer  climbed 
a  little  ladder  and  cut  holes  in  the  pall  with  his  sword.  The 
water  then  poured  down  upon  the  beautiful  carpet  of  evergreens 
and  flowers.  Ten  minutes  later  the  rain  almost  ceased  to  fall, 
but  in  a  short  time  the  drops  came  down  again.  From  that 
time  onward  the  rain  continued,  although  the  clouds  frequently 
seemed  to  be  breaking  away.  The  spectators  who  had  no  um- 
brellas crouched  under  the  branches  of  the  trees. 

At  3  o'clock  the  members  of  the  German  singing  societies 
marched  along  the  roadway  and  took  places  bv  the  side  of  the 
vault.  Ten  minutes  later  Gov.  Foster  and  his  staff  appeared  in 
front  of  the  vault  in  a  drizzling  rain.  At  3.30  the  Marine  Band, 
of  Washington,  marched  by  playing  the  Garfield  funeral  march, 
and  took  a  station  beyond  the  vault  on  the  left.  Three  minutes 
later  came  three  horsemen — Chief  Marshal  Barnett,  and  Gen. 
Meyer  and  Major  Goodspeed,  of  his  staff.  They  were  at  once 


336  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 

followed  by  the  First  City  Troop  of  Cleveland,  a  fine  body  of 
men,  excellently  mounted,  and  clad  in  uniforms  of  black  and 
yellow.  Marching  behind  them  were  the  commanderies  of 
Knights  Templar,  the  members  of  which  formed  a  single  rank 
facing  the  vault,  while  the  troopers  continued  the  line  to  the 
left. 

No  sound  was  heard  as  the  funeral  car  drew  near.  Its  wheels 
passed  noiselessly  over  the  earth.  The  grooms  were  finding  it 
difficult  to  restrain  the  twelve  black  horses.  The  artillerymen  still 
marched  by  the  side  of  the  car.  Colored  men  held  the  canopy 
by  cords  running  down  from  the  corners  of  the  cornice.  The 
immortelles  around  the  pillars  had  been  soaked  through  and 
through  with  rain,  and  the  old  colors,  furled  and  draped,  were 
dripping.  The  palms  of  victory  had  slipped  from  the  top  of  the 
coffin  to  the  floor  of  the  car,  but  the  wreath  sent  by  Queen  Vic- 
toria was  yet  in  its  place.  A  great  piece  of  tarpaulin  was  at 
once  laid  upon  the  carpet  of  evergreens  and  flowers,  and  an  in- 
clined plane  was  placed  at  the  rear  of  the  car.  While  the  artil- 
lerymen were  getting  ready  to  lift  the  body  from  the  car,  the 
white  horses  of  Mrs.  Garfield's  carriage  walked  up  to  a  spot  just 
in  front  of  the  door  of  the  vault.  The  window  of  the  carriage  was 
lowered.  Upon  the  back  seat  were  President  Garfield's  wife 
and  mother.  The  venerable  lady's  sad  face  appeared  for  a  mo- 
ment and  was  then  withdrawn.  Then  the  President's  widow 
drew  back  her  veil  and  looked  out  upon  the  beautiful  carpet  of 
flowers.  Upon  the  box,  beside  the  driver,  sat  Daniel  Spriggs, 
the  faithful  colored  servant  of  the  dead  man.  Dr.  Robison 
walked  to  the  door  of  the  carriage  and  spoke  to  those  who  were 
within.  Then  Harry  Garfield  and  James  Garfield  opened  the 
door  and  stepped  out.  Daniel  stepped  down  from  the  driver's 
seat  and  stood  by  the  rear  wheel  of  the  carriage,  his  hat  in  his 
hand,  and  his  head  bowed  in  grief.  The  clergymen  and  some 
others  came  under  the  pall  before  the  door  of  the  vault  and 
awaited  the  removal  of  the  body.  The  artillerymen  marched 
the  length  of  the  tarpaulin,  countermarched,  walked  up  the  in- 
clined plane,  and  stood  on  the  car  beside  the  coffin.  It  was  lifted, 
carried  out  of  the  car,  and  then  placed  on  their  shoulders. 
Slowly  they  bore  it  down  and  then  over  the  evergreen  carpet 
and  under  the  pall  to  the  door  of  the  vault.  The  mother  and 
the  widow  of  the  late  President  watched  this  mournful  journey 
from  their  carriage.  The  artillerymen  bore  the  body  into  the 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  337 

vault  and  placed  it  on  the  supports  prepared  for  it  there.  It  had 
reached  the  house  of  silence.  As  it  passed  between  the  iron 
gates  the  President's  mother  looked  fixedly  at  it  and  then  drew 
down  her  veil.  The  President's  widow  covered  her  face  with 
her  hands  and  wept.  The  Marine  Band,  stationed  near  at  hand, 
played  "  Nearer,  My  God,  to  Thee."  As  the  beautiful  strains 
were  heard  the  venerable  lady  whose  son  had  been  placed  in 
the  vault  looked  out  and  her  face  was  radiant.  Gen.  Swaim 
and  Col.  Rockwell  went  down  to  the  carriage  and  spoke  to  her. 

THE    REV.    MR.    JONES'S    ADDRESS. 

Dr.  Robison  then  announced  that  some  remarks  would  be 
made  by  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Jones,  who  went  out  to  the  war  with 
Gen.  Garfield.  The  former  Chaplain  of  the  Forty-Second  Ohio 
Volunteers  stood  under  the  pall  and  spoke  as  follows : 

"  Our  illustrious  friend  has  completed  his  journey — a  journey 
we  must  all  make,  and  that  in  the  near  future.  Yet  when  I  see 
the  grand  surroundings  of  this  occasion  I  am  led  to  inquire, 
Was  this  man  the  son  of  the  emperor,  of  the  king  that  wore 
the  crown  ?  For  in  the  history  of  this  great  country  there  has 
been  nothing  like  this  seen  by  the  people,  and,  perhaps,  in  no 
other  country.  Yet  I  thought,  perhaps,  speaking  after  the  man- 
ner of  men,  that  he  was  a  prince,  and  this  was  offered  in  a  man- 
ner after  royalty.  He  was  not,  my  friends.  It  is  not  an  offer- 
ing of  a  king.  It  is  not  as  we  are  taught,  an  offering  to  earthly 
kings  and  emperors,  though  he  was  born  a  prince  and  a  free- 
man, the  great  Commoner  of  the  United  States.  Only  a  few 
miles  from  where  we  stand  less  than  50  years  ago  he  was  born, 
in  the  primeval  forests  of  this  State  and  this  County,  and  all  he 
asks  of  you  now  is  a  peaceful  grave  in  the  bosom  of  the  land 
that  gave  him  birth.  I  cannot  speak  to  you  of  his  wonderful 
life  and  works.  Time  forbids  and  history  will  take  care  of 
that,  and  your  children's  children  will  read  of  this  with  emotion 
when  we  have  passed  away  from  this  earth.  But  let  me  say 
that  -when  I  was  permitted,  with  these  honorable  men,  to  go  to 
Pittsburg,  as  one  of  a  committee  to  receive  his  mortal  remains, 
I  saw  from  that  city  to  Cleveland  hundreds  and  thousands  of 
people,  many  of  them  in  tears.  Then  I  asked  myself  the  mean- 
ing of  all  this,  for  I  saw  the  working  men  come  out  of  the  roll- 
ing mills,  with  dust  and  smoke  all  over  their  faces,  their  heads 
uncovered  and  tears  rolling  down  their  brawny  cheeks,  and  with 
15 


338  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

bated  breath.  I  asked,  What  is  the  meaning  of  all  this  ?  because 
it  casts  down  a  working  man  ?  He  was  a  working  man  himself, 
for  he  has  been  a  worker  from  his  birth  almost.  He  has  fought 
his  way  through  life  at  every  step,  and  the  working  man  he  took 
by  the  hand.  There  were  sympathy  and  brotherhood  between 
them.  In  the  small  cottages,  as  well  as  in  the  splendid  mansions, 
there  are  drapings  on  the  shutters,  and  it  may  have  been  the 
only  veil  a  poor  woman  had,  as  with  tears  in  her  eyes  she  saw 
us  pass.  I  asked  why  ;  what  interest  has  this  poor  woman  in 
this  man  ?  She  had  read  that  he  was  born  in  a  cabin,  and  that 
when  he  got  old  enough  to  work  in  the  beech  woods  he  helped 
to  support  his  widowed  mother.  Then  I  saw  the  processions 
and  the  colleges  pouring  out ;  the  local  professions  and  the  civic 
societies  and  the  military  all  concentrated  here.  And  he  has 
touched  them  all  in  his  passage  thus  far  through  life,  and  you 
feel  that  he  is  a  brother.  He  is,  therefore,  a  brother  to  you  in 
all  these  regards.  But  when  a  man  dies  his  work  usually  fol- 
lows him. 

"  When  we  sent  Gen.  Garfield  to  the  Capitol  at  Washington 
he  weighed  210  pounds.  He  had  a  soul  that  loved  his  race; 
a  splendid  intellect  that  almost  bent  the  largest  form  to  bear  it. 
You  bring  him  back  to  us  a  mere  handful  of  some  80  pounds, 
mostly  of  bones,  in  that  casket.  Now  I  ask,  Why  is  this  ?  I  do 
not  stop  to  talk  about  the  man  that  did  the  deed.  '  Vengeance 
is  mine,  saith  the  Lord,  I  will  repay.'  He  sees  the  terrors  of  a 
scaffold  before  him  probably,  and  the  eternal  disgrace  which 
falls  to  the  murderer  and  assassin,  and  he  is  going  down  to  the 
judgment  of  God  amid  the  frowns  of  the  world.  But  where  is 
James  A.  Garfield  whom  we  lent  to  you  seven  months  ago  ? 
Many  of  you  were  there  at  the  time  of  his  inauguration  and  wit- 
nessed the  grand  pageant  which  passed  in  front  of  the  Capitol, 
and  the  grandest  that  was  ever  had  in  the  nation  was  held  on 
that  occasion.  And  now  comes  this  unwelcome  but  splendid 
exhibition,  that  will  be  read  of  all  over  the  world  with  regret. 
For  Secretary  Blaine,  in  a  business-like  manner,  made  out  that 
there  were  300,000,000  people  of  the  world  mourning  the  death  of 
President  Garfield,  and  offering  up  sympathy.  Where  is  he  ? 
Here  is  all  that  is  left  of  him — the  grand,  bright  and  brilliant 
man.  Now  that  soul  that  loved,  that  mind  that  thought,  and 
has  impressed  itself  upon  the  world,  must  come  back,  for  if 
thoughts  live  will  that  precious  thought  cease  ?  In  reason  he 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  339 

speaks  and  in  example  lives.  His  thoughts  and  mighty  deeds 
still  flourish  in  structure.  We  shall  get  him  back,  fellow-citi- 
zens. In  conversation  with  one  nearest  and  dearest  to  him,  she 
said  when  she  thought  of  his  relations  as  a  husband,  a  son,  and 
a  statesman,  having  reached  the  highest  pinnacle  to  which  man 
can  be  elevated  by  the  free  suffrage  of  our  50,000,000  of  people, 
there  was  no  promotion  left  for  her  beloved  but  for  God  to  call 
him  higher.  He  has  received  that  promotion.  He  believed  in 
the  immortality,  not  only  of  the  soul  but  of  the  body,  and  that 
the  grave  will  give  up  the  dead.  He  must  live,  and,  my  friends, 
that  was  the  hope  that  sustained  him.  It  was  with  him  in  the 
war,  and  the  enemy  never  saw  his  back  ;  they  never  looked 
upon  his  back ;  he  was  fortunate  in  every  contest  in  being  on 
the  victorious  side.  But  the  grandest  fight  he  ever  made  he 
made  in  the  last  80  days  of  his  existence,  fought,  not  because  he 
himself  personally  expected  to  live,  but  the  doctors  told  him  to 
hope.  He  loved  his  wife  and  children,  and  he  hoped.  '  I  am 
not  afraid  to  die,  but  I  will  try,'  said  he,  '  to  live.'  And  then 
he  was  not  conquered  except  by  simple  exhaustion.  It  seems 
to  me  that  no  good  man  by  the  name  of  Abraham  can  be  a 
President  of  the  United  States  and  can  be  long  absent  from 
Abraham's  bosom,  for  both  of  them  have  been  called,  and  early, 
to  the  Paradise  of  God,  and  their  spirits  look  down  upon  us  to- 
day. He  is  in  the  society  of  Washington  and  Lincoln  and  the 
immortal  hosts  of  patriots  that  stood  for  their  country. 

"  Let  me  say  in  conclusion :  There  was  a  man  in  ancient 
Bible  history  that  killed  more  in  his  death  than  he  did  in  his 
life,  and  I  believe  that  to  be  true  with  James  A.  Garfield.  I 
doubt  whether  there  is  a  page  that  equals  this  in  sympathy  and 
love,  and  not  only  in  this  country,  but  all  over  the  world.  Have 
you  ever  read  anything  like  this?  You  brethren  here  of  the 
South  I  greet  you  to-day  ;  and  you  brethren  of  the  North,  East, 
and  West,  come ;  let  us  lay  all  our  bitterness  in  the  coffin  of 
the  dear  man.  Let  him  carry  it  with  him  to  the  grave  in  silence. 
Till  the  angels  disturb  the  slumbers  of  the  dead,  let  us  love  each 
other  more  and  our  country  better.  May  God  bless  you  and 
the  dear  family,  and  as  they  constitute  a  great  family  on  earth, 
I  hope  they  will  constitute  a  great  family  in  the  kingdom  of 
God,  where  I  hope  to  meet  you  all  in  the  end.  Amen." 


340  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


THE    HOUSE    OF    SILENCE. 

At  his  left,  near  a  group  of  correspondents,  stood  Secretary 
Elaine.  Upon  the  other  side  of  the  speaker  were  ex- President 
Hayes  and  ex-Secretary  Evarts.  Near  them  stood  the  faithful  Dr. 
Boynton  and  the  three  friends — Swaim,  Rockwell,  and  Brown. 
As  soon  as  the  chaplain  had  ceased  to  speak  the  German  soci- 
eties sang  Horace's  famous  ode,  "  Integer  Vita?."  Daniel 
Spriggs  remained  by  the  carriage  with  folded  hands  and  down- 
cast eyes.  His  kind  master  had  gone  forever  from  his  sight. 

After  all  who  had  assisted  in  the  ceremonies  had  been  for- 
mally thanked  by  Dr.  Robison,  and  the  representative  of  the  rela- 
tives, the  exercises  were  brought  to  an  end  by  a  short  prayer 
offered  by  President  Hinsdale.  Immediately  afterward  the  peo- 
ple walked  up  to  the  evergreen  carpet  and  picked  up  buds  and 
sprigs  and  bits  of  immortelles  to  treasure  up  as  mementoes  of 
the  day  and  the  mournful  event.  Secretary  Elaine,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Errett,  and  others  went  to  the  carriage  in  which  were  the 
President's  wife  and  mother.  The  artillerymen  came  forth  from 
the  vault.  Their  duty  had  been  performed.  The  carriages,  the 
people,  and  the  troops  moved  away  and  returned  to  the  city. 
The  noblest  son  of  the  nation  had  been  laid  at  rest. 


A  DAY  OF  MOURNING  IN  EUROPE. 

SYMBOLS    OF    GRIEF    DISPLAYED    AND    MEMORIAL    SERVICES 
HELD    IN    MANY    PLACES. 

LONDON,  Sept.  26. — In  London  to-day  the  signs  of  mourning 
are  general  and  spontaneous,  and  all  agree  that  there  was  never 
such  a  general  wearing  of  mourning  for  a  foreigner.  Even 
many  of  the  carters  and  draymen  have  their  whips  decorated 
with  crape,  and  in  what  are  usually  the  busiest  thoroughfares, 
such  as  the  Strand,  Fleet  Street,  and  Cheapside,  many  of  the 
shops  and  all  the  daily  newspaper  offices  are  partially  closed. 
Many  shops  display  large  portraits  of  President  Garfield  in  their 
windows.  The  hotels  display  flags  at  half-mast  and  have  their 
blinds  lowered.  The  latter  indication  of  mourning  is  also  visi- 
ble at  all  the  royal  palaces,  at  the  Mansion  House,  at  a  number 
of  private  residences  throughout  the  metropolis,  and  at  the 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  841 

political  and  private  clubs.  A  majority  of  the  church  bells  are 
tolling,  and  in  many  of  them  midday  services  are  held.  When 
the  guard  was  relieved  at  St.  James's  Palace  the  band,  under 
the  direction  of  Godfrey,  played  a  dead  march  and  other  music 
of  a  similar  character.  There  was  a  great  crowd  present.  In 
the  business  portion  of  the  West  End  of  London,  particularly 
in  Regent  Street  and  Oxford  Street,  there  is  hardly  a  shop  not 
showing  some  sign  of  mourning. 

There  was  another  remarkable  demonstration  at  Dr.  Parker's 
City  Temple,  which  was  crowded  to  overflowing,  there  being 
hundreds  outside  unable  to  gain  admittance.  The  pulpit  was 
draped  with  crape  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  blended,  and  with 
a  magnificent  white  wreath.  The  service  was  begun  with  the 
anthem,  "  Sleep  thy  last  sleep,"  followed  by  the  dead  march, 
"  So  be  thou  faithful  unto  death."  Prayer  was  offered  by  the 
Rev.  Newman  Hall,  the  burden  of  which  was  "  Thy  will  be 
done."  The  solo  "  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth"  was  then 
sung  by  Miss  Beebe.  Dr.  Parker  took  as  his  text — "As  in 
Adam  all  died."  He  said  the  funeral  is  attended  by  the  whole 
civilized  world.  It  is  impossible  to  recall  an  instance  where 
deeper  sympathy  has  been  displayed  by  one  nation  for  another. 
President  Garfield's  greatness  in  life  was  concealed  by  modesty, 
but  is  now  seen  by  every  one.  He  sketched  General  Garfleld's 
career,  showing  its  wonderful  vicissitudes.  He  had  handled  the 
world  bravely.  The  throne  which  knew  him  best  was  that  he 
has  left  in  the  hearts  of  the  people.  As  the  next  name  to  that 
of  the  Queen,  that  of  Queen  Lucretia  Garfield  stands  in  all 
English  hearts.  Death  won  a  poor  victory  compared  with  hers. 
She  behaved  with  a  heroism  which  would  thrill  the  world.  At 
the  suggestion  of  Dr.  Parker  a  message  expressing  admiration 
and  the  deepest  sympathy  was  cabled  to  Mrs.  Garfield,  all  the 
audience  simultaneously  rising  as  a  sign  of  assent.  The  service 
concluded  with  a  solo  by  Antoinette  Sterling,  and  the  hymn 
"  Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee." 

The  Manchester  Guardian  appears  to-day  with  a  deep  mourn- 
ing border.  At  various  towns  in  England  to-day — some  even, 
as  Portsmouth,  having  no  particular  connection  with  America — 
the  municipal  authorities  have  requested  the  inhabitants  to  show 
their  respect  for  the  late  President  Garfield  by  closing  some  of 
their  shutters,  more  particularly  during  the  funeral.  In  London 
a  number  of  offices  connected  with  America  are  draped  in  black. 


342  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

All  the  omnibus  drivers  are  ordered  by  the  Omnibus  Company 
to  have  crape  on  their  whips.  All  the  flags  on  the  River  Thames 
are  at  half-mast,  as  are  also  those  on  many  of  the  halls  of  the 
city  companies.  The  officers  of  the  Direct  United  States  Cable 
Company  and  Anglo-American  Telegraph  Company  on  Throg- 
morton  Street  were  conspicuous  by  their  display  of  the  American 
flag  hoisted  at  half-mast  and  covered  with  crape. 

At  the  afternoon  service  at  Westminster  Abbey  to-day  the 
prayers  of  the  congregation  were  requested  for  the  widow  and 
family  of  President  Garfield.  Canons  Cheadle,  Duckworth,  and 
Farrar  assisted  at  the  service. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Hermann  Adler,  in  his  sermon  at  the  Bayswater 
Synagogue,  paid  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  President  Garfield. 

The  Pall  Mall  Gazette  this  evening  says :  "  To-day  when 
England  and  America  stand  as  mourners  beside  one  grave  we 
may  venture  to  hope  that  the  bitter  memories  and  dividing  ani- 
mosities engendered  by  the  Revolutionary  war  are  finally  passed 
away,"  and  suggests  that  England  and  America  shall  endeavor  to 
arrange  some  kind  of  an  informal  union  for  the  prevention  of 
internecine  strife.  "  If  a  European  concert,  despite  almost 
insurmountable  difficulties,  is  recognized  as  a  political  necessity, 
why  should  there  not  be  an  Anglo-American  concert  wide  enough 
to  include  in  one  fatherland  all  English-speaking  men." 

A  Berlin  correspondent  says :  "  Dr.  von  Schloezer,  the  Ger- 
man Envoy  Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  the 
United  States,  takes  with  him  to  Washington  autograph  letters 
of  the  Emperor  William  and  Prince  Bismarck,  expressing  their 
heartfelt  condolence  with  the  widow  of  the  late  President. 

Accounts  of  mourning  manifestations  in  honor  of  the  late 
President  come  from  Northampton,  Oxford,  and  every  part  of 
the  kingdom,  and  even  from  remote  towns  of  Ireland  and  Scot- 
land. A  constant  stream  of  addresses  of  condolence  from  nearly 
every  provincial  borough  and  from  political  societies  of  every 
shade  of  opinion  continues  to  arrive  at  the  American  Legation. 

Memorial  services  were  held  in  the  Church  of  St.  Martin-in- 
the-Field  this  evening.  Long  before  their  commencement  the 
approaches  to  the  church  were  crowded  with  English  and 
American  mourners  of  both  sexes.  The  building  was  soon 
crowded  and  not  an  available  inch  of  room  was  left.  The  ser- 
vices opened  with  the  hymn,  "  0  God,  our  help  in  ages  past," 
and  later  on  the  hymn  "  Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee"  was  sung 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  343 

many  weeping  at  the  melancholy  application  of  the  simple 
words.  Mr.  Lowell,  the  American  Minister,  was  present.  The 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury  officiated  and  delivered  an  address. 
He  said:  ".This  is  a  mournful  day,  even  here,  although  at  so 
great  a  distance.  Had  the  solemn  scene  of  the  funeral  obse- 
quies taken  place  in  some  neighboring  cemetery,  I  doubt  whether 
the  effect  would  have  been  more  deeply  felt.  A  feeling  of  con- 
sternation, not  merely  dismay,  prevailed  throughout  this  commu- 
nity when  the  news  was  flashed  across  the  Atlantic  that  the 
loved  President  of  a  great  people  had  been  smitten  by  a  mysterious 
blow.  In  our  alarm  we  thought  there  must  be  existing  in  the 
world  some  vile  combination  working  in  the  dark  against  the 
progress  of  civilization.  Afterward  we  learned  that  the  deed 
originated  in  vulgar  avarice,  or  ambition  thwarted  by  the  deter- 
mination of  an  upright  chief."  The  Archbishop  then  sketched 
General  Garfield's  life  from  labor  to  college,  from  college  to  camp, 
and  from  camp  to  the  Presidency,  which,  he  said,  was  the  life 
of  an  honest,  straightforward,  and  vigorous  lover  of  his  country, 
opening  up  a  picture  of  manhood  such  as  we  are  little  acquainted 
with  in  this  country.  Civilization  has  lost  no  common  man  in 
Gen.  Garfield.  Thank  God,  England  and  America  are  not  dis- 
united, but  may  be  brought  to  better  understand  and  love  each 
other  by  our  union  in  the  common  sorrow. 

LIVERPOOL,  Sept.  26. — The  Mayor  of  Liverpool  and  the  prin- 
cipal officers  of  the  city  attended  in  state  the  special  funeral  ser- 
vices in  memory  of  the  late  President  at  the  pro-cathedral, 
which  was  filled  with  leading  citizens.  Business  was  generally 
suspended  and  the  bells  tolled. 

LEAMINGTON,  Sept.  26.— At  a  special  meeting,  the  Town 
Council  has  passed  a  vote  of  sympathy  with  the  widow  of 
President  Garfield. 

PORTSMOUTH,  Sept.  26. — Muffled  peals  were  rung  from  the 
parish  church.  All  the  foreign  consulates  have  lowered  flags, 
and  similar  honors  were  paid  by  the  port  and  the  garrison.  The 
blinds  of  most  of  the  private  residences  are  drawn. 

WINDSOR,  Sept.  26. — The  American  flag  is  hoisted  at  half- 
mast  on  the  Town  Hall.  Many  of  the  shops  are  partially  closed. 
The  bells  at  the  Castle  and  the  parish  church  tolled  for  an  hour. 

GLASGOW,  Sept.  26. — The  flags  are  at  half-mast  and  the  bells 
were  tolled  for  an  hour.  The  principal  markets  have  closed  for 
the  afternoon. 


344  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

MANCHESTER,  Sept.  26. — Business  is  to  a  great  extent  sus- 
pended. There  was  a  funeral  service  in  the  cathedral. 

CAIRO,  EGYPT,  Sept.  26. — Public  funeral  services  were  held 
at  the  American  mission  chapel  here  at  9  o'clock  this  morning. 
All  the  Ministers  and  Consuls  and  a  number  of  Europeans  were 
present. 

BRADFORD,  Sept.  26. — A  most  impressive  meeting  of  our 
townsmen  was  held  at  the  Exchange  here,  the  Mayor  presiding. 
A  resolution  of  condolence  and  sympathy  for  the  death  of  the 
President  was  passed,  the  immense  crowd  standing  meanwhile 
motionless  and  uncovered. 

PARIS,  Sept.  26. — President  Gre>y  and  the  diplomatic  body 
were  represented  at  the  service  in  memory  of  President  Gar- 
field  at  the  chapel  in  the  Rue  de  Berri. 

A  service  was  held  to-day  at  the  Protestant  chapel  in  the 
Rue  St.  Hcnore.  The  church  was  draped  in  black.  Mr.  Mor- 
ton, the  United  States  Minister,  received  the  diplomatic  body. 
The  whole  American  colony  was  present,  together  with  M.  Say, 
President  of  the  Senate;  M.  Barthelemy  St.  Hilaire,  Minister 
of  Foreign  Affairs ;  Gen.  Farre,  Minister  of  War ;  M.  Tirard, 
Minister  of  Agriculture  and  Commerce,  and  M.  Cochery,  Minis- 
ter of  Posts  and  Telegraphs.  Gen.  Pittie,  represented  President 
Grevy,  and  Admiral  Peyron  represented  the  Minister  of  Marine. 
M.  Vernes,  President  of  the  Paris  Consistory ;  the  Rev.  M.  Recol- 
lin,  and  Bishop  Dudley  delivered  eloquent  addresses  recalling  Gen. 
Garfield's  intelligence  and  honesty  and  the  deep  sorrow  which 
has  fallen  on  the  widow  and  mother.  The  speakers  laid  strong 
emphasis  on  the  ties  uniting  the  two  republics,  and  referred  to 
the  departure  at  the  present  moment  of  the  French  delegation 
for  Yorktown.  M.  Recollin  conjured  Americans  to  terminate 
all  party  divisions,  so  that  there  should  be  no  longer  a  North 
and  a  South,  but  one  people. 

MADRID,  Sept.  26. — The  American  Society  has  adopted  a 
resolution  expressing  profound  regret  at  the  death  of  President 
Garfield. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  345 


PULPIT    WEEATHS. 


SERMONS  BY  PROMINENT  CLERGYMEN  ON  THE 
DEATH  OF  THE  PRESIDENT. 

A    SIGN    TO    THE    PEOPLE THE    BITTER    MEDICINE    OF    GRIEF    FOR 

THE    HEALING   OF  THE   NATION'S   SICKNESS DR.  DIX   ON  THE 

ABSORBING  TOPIC  OF  THE  DAY. 

The  Rev.  Morgan  Dix,  of  Trinity  Church,  New  York, 
preached  from  the  text  Ezekiel  xxiv.  19 — "And  the  people 
said  unto  me,  Wilt  thou  not  tell  us  what  these  things  are  to 
us?"  It  was  the  office  of  the  prophets  of  the  old  time,  said 
the  preacher,  to  declare  to  the  people  the  meaning  of  the  dis- 
pensations of  Almighty  God.  Under  inspiration  they  had 
the  key  to  the  mysteries  by  which  man  is  compassed  about,  and 
knew  how  to  explain  what  otherwise  might  have  gone  unnoticed 
or  unsolved.  And  special  signs  were  given — things  that  sur- 
prised and  startled  and  fixed  the  attention,  things  which  evi- 
dently meant  something — and  the  observers  were  wont  to  gather 
about  the  prophet  or  seer  and  listen  to  his  statement  of  the 
purpose  of  God  veiled  under  the  sign.  The  entire  cast  of  the 
public  thought  was  religious.  Men  looked  for  symbols  and 
wonders  and  strange  acts ;  they  knew  that  all  is  of  God  and  can 
be  traced  up  to  God ;  they  knew  not,  in  each  instance,  how ; 
they  wished  to  know,  and  asked  to  be  told,  and  thus  in  the 
strange  events  and  noted  experiences  of  the  year  they  learned 
God's  will,  God's  purposes,  his  mercies  and  his  judgments.  It 
was  a  rare,  a  blessed  life,  to  feel  God  near  them,  to  hear  his 
voice,  to  read  the  very  meaning  of  his  acts  ;  it  lifted  those  who 
had  that  privilege  high  above  the  rest,  and  made  them  a  pecu- 
liar people  among  all  nations  of  the  earth.  And  what  of  us  and 
of  the  world  in  our  own  day  ?  Are  we,  then,  so  far  off  from 
God  that  no  message  comes  to  us  direct  from  him  ?  that  no 
15* 


346  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

signs  are  given  ?  that  we  have  no  interpreter  ?  Not  at  all,  surely 
not  Through  the  Gospel  and  the  Son  of  God  we  are  brought 
nearer  unto  him,  nearer  than  ever.  As  the  apostle  saith,  "  The 
law  made  nothing  perfect,  but  the  bringing  in  of  a  better  hope 
did,  whereby  we  draw  nigh  to  God."  Be  it  far  from  the 
thought  of  any  Christian  man  to  admit  that  God's  voice  is  not  as 
distinct,  that  God's  meaning  is  not  as  plain,  now  as  in  the  days 
long  past.  He  made  the  world,  he  governs  it.  To  use  the 
comfortable  words  of  our  collect,  "  His  never  failing  providence 
ordered  all  things  in  heaven  and  earth."  Whatever  cometh  has 
a  meaning.  The  events  of  the  hour  and  the  day  are  not  the 
result  of  chance ;  they  are  lite  voices  to  man  from  another 
realm  ;  we  must  be  able,  we  are  able,  to  discover  what  they  are 
to  us.  The  prophetic  office  has  not  failed  ;  it  still  exists  and  is 
executed  among  us.  That  office  consisted  mainly  in  teaching 
man  the  will  of  God;  the  forecasting  of  the  future,  the 
announcement  of  things  to  come,  was  a  secondary  and  extra- 
ordinary function ;  the  steady  daily  work  of  the  prophet  was  to 
teach  in  God's  name.  And  that  prophetic  office  continues  in 
full  force ;  it  is  the  great  office  of  the  Church  of  Christ ;  it  is 
the  duty  laid  on  the  ministry  of  that  Church  to  interpret,  to 
explain,  to  clear  up  the  dubious,  to  make  the  crooked  plain,  to 
bring  dark  things  to  light,  to  draw  forth  the  deep  moral  from 
transitory  phenomena,  and  so  to  enforce  it  on  intellect  and  con- 
science that  when  the  signs  are  passed  away  the  things  signified 
may  abide  with  us,  making  us  better  men.  And  this  is  the 
difference  between  the  censure  and  criticism  of  the  mere  human 
observer  and  the  solemn  judgments  of  the  Church.  On  the  one 
hand  it  is  the  surface  only  which  is  swept  by  the  keen  eye  ;  on 
the  other  hand  it  is  the  depth  that  is  sounded  to  that  point  at 
which  'the  upper  agitation  ceases.  The  popular  record  con- 
tains what  is  seen,  what  catches  the  eye,  what  gives  material  to 
the  artist  for  his  pictures,  what  absorbs  and  moves  the  imagina- 
tion and  the  sympathies  which  exist  alike  in  all.  But  the 
Chnrch  in  her  prophetic  office  tells  us  more — what  things  are  to 
a*,  what  lessons  they  bring  of  righteousness,  temperance  and 
judgment  to  come;  and  so  she  makes  men  thoughtful,  and 
sends  them,  full  of  it,  to  their  knees  in  silent  adoration  of  the 
Everlasting  God,  and  sets  them  thinking  what  they  can  do  to 
keep  the  salutary  impressions  from  passing  away  and  leaving 
them,  as  before,  indifferent,  careless,  irreligious. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  347 


A  SIGN  FROM  GOD. 

Dear  brethren,  a  sign  is  now  before  us,  great,  mighty,  por- 
tentous. It  has  been  before  our  eyes  week  after  week,  growing 
ever  more  alarming,  filling  the  land  with  astonishment,  hearts 
with  dread,  eyes  with  weeping  for  the  things  that  have  come  on 
the  land.  This  is,  if  ever  such  was  since  the  world  began,  a  sign 
from  God — a  sign  to  the  nation,  a  sign  to  other  nations,  a  sign 
to  every  one  by  himself,  and  to  each  house  and  family  apart. 
And,  as  by  an  irresistible  instinct,  men  have  hastened  to  render 
that  sign  still  more  fearfully  impressive  by  the  lavish  parapher- 
nalia of  death  and  his  dark  abode.  The  city  has  been  turned 
into  one  vast  house  of  mourning.  One  cannot  walk  about,  one 
cannot  look  forth  from  his  window,  one  cannot  move  a  step 
without  beholding  what  reminds  him  of  the  sombre  terrors  of 
the  grave.  I  know  nothing  more  striking,  nothing  more  edify^ 
ing,  than  this  common  movement  of  all  sorts  and  conditions  of 
men — of  the  evil  and  the  good,  of  the  godly  and  the  ungodly, 
of  the  careless  and  profane  as  well  as  the  devout  believer,  of 
persons  of  all  estates  and  conditions,  of  all  professions,  of  all 
minds  and  wills,  unnumbered,  yet  unanimous — hastening  to  put 
into  some  visible  expression  the  confession,  the  admission  that 
the  glory  of  man  is  as  the  flower  of  grass ;  that  human  life  is 
but  a  vapor  which  appeareth  for  a  little  time,  and  then  vanisheth 
away.  Have  ye  weighed  this  sufficiently  ?  Have  ye  thought 
how  astounding,  how  overwhelming  is  the  sound  of  this  univer- 
sal voice,  crying  as  one,  "  Dust  we  are  and  unto  dust  shall  we 
return"  ?  If  the  voice  of  the  people  be  indeed  the  voice  of  God, 
then  it  is  not  so  much  the  people  whom  we  hear  to-day  as  God 
Almighty  speaking  to  us  through  them — repeating  the  old  les- 
sons so  soon  forgotten,  condemning  human  pride,  pouring  con- 
tempt on  human  glory,  asserting  the  omnipotence  of  death,  and 
reminding  each  living  soul  that  the  time  is  short,  that  there  is 
neither  wisdom,  nor  device,  nor  knowledge,  nor  power  in  the 
deep  furrow  of  the  tomb.  This  sign  is  now  before  us;  dis- 
played more  distinctly  than  those  in  the  heavens,  wherein  we 
have  been  looking,  recently,  upon  the  pale  trains  of  comets 
wheeling  their  mysterious  course  through  space ;  this  sign  is 
standing  in  full  sight  from  every  quarter  of  the  land.  The 
question  may  be  asked,  What  is  it  to  us?  "Wilt  thou  not  tell 
us  what  these  things  are  to  us  ?"  So  said  the  people  to  their 


348  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

prophet  of  old.  And  may  ye  reverently  ask  of  those  who  speak 
to  you  in  the  name  of  God,  the  ministers  of  that  great  Christian 
body  which  has  and  keeps  the  truth.  And  if  ye  ask  it,  let  them 
answer,  as  they  should,  not  by  delivering  their  own  opinions,  not 
by  setting  forth  their  views  as  men,  and  so,  like  other  men, 
entitled  to  form  judgments  on  passing  events,  which  judgments 
may  be  right  or  wrong,  but  by  declaring  things  out  of  the  living 
oracles — old  truths,  first  principles,  weighty  matters  of  law.  It 
is  to  this  task  that  I  would  address  myself,  remembering  whose 
minister  I  am — to  the  question  about  the  inmost  meaning  of 
the  sign,  its  purport  as  verily  and  indeed  showed  to  us  by  God 
through  the  strange  and  striking  act  of  man.  This  is  the  prov- 
ince of  the  Church — her  sole  province.  The  journals  of  the 
day  have  given  the  public  all  the  information  that  could  be 
gathered  by  the  utmost  industry  and  ingenuity.  They  have 
4old  the  story  from  the  beginning  to  the  moment  we  have 
reached  ;  they  hsve  set  before  us,  so  plainly  that  nothing  could 
be  plainer,  the  horrid  crime,  the  long  suffering,  the  household 
and  domestic  details,  the  professional  treatment,  they  have 
written  the  biography  of  the  dead,  and  fully  told  his  life ;  they 
have  followed  the  unrolling  of  the  awful  drama,  and  have 
related  every  minutest  incident  of  its  process.  The  sign,  in  its 
outward  aspect,  could  not  have  been  more  perfectly  portrayed, 
more  scientifically  recorded  in  the  register  of  the  history  of  this 
eventful  year.  All  this  is  as  it  should  be,  but  with  these  things 
the  Church  has  naught  to  do.  Hers  it  is  not  to  repeat  nor  to 
amplify,  nor  to  tell  over  again  what  has  been  well  told,  but  to 
go  down  far  below  to  reach  something  deeper,  to  read  the 
meaning  of  these  things  in  that  innermost  place  where  God  and 
man  meet  at  length,  and  where  we  must  be  still,  and  bow  the 
head,  and  listen  while  he  speaks.  '  After  the  wind,  and  the 
earthquake,  and  the  fire,  comes  the  still,  small  voice.  It  is  the 
utterance  of  the  Spirit  addressing  the  soul  of  man.  And  if  he, 
whom  the  nation  mourns  to-day,  could  speak  to  his  people  and 
his  countrymen,  he  would  no  doubt  bid  us  rather  think  what 
these  things  are  to  us,  than  go  on  dwelling  exclusively  on  the 
violence  and  misery  inflicted  on  his  now  lifeless  body  and  on 
the  bereavement  of  the  nation  from  whom  their  head  has  thus 
atrociously  been  taken  away. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  849 


INTERPRETATION    OF   THE    SIGN. 

The  sign  tells  us  of  the  utter  vanity  of  human  things. 
Shadows  are  we,  and  vapor;  and,  if  this  life  be  all,  then  no 
more.  It  is  awful  to  think  of  one  being  lifted  up  head  over 
40,000,000  or  50,000,000  of  men  honored,  exalted,  trusted  in, 
hailed  with  loud  and  general  cries  of  joy,  and  then  instantly 
struck  into  darkness  and  dust.  It  is  awful  to  think  that  a  man 
should  by  patience,  industry,  talents,  virtues,  by  the  very  labor 
of  the  hands  and  sweat  of  the  brow,  work  up  to  such  a  place 
modestly  and  honestly  and  religiously  withal,  only  to  be  levelled 
at  one  blow  at  the  instant  in  which  he  stood  at  the  summit  of 
honor  and  power.  It  is  awful  to  think  of  a  man  watched  all 
those  years  by  eyes  of  love,  prayed  for,  upborne  by  devoted 
affection,  followed  to  his  triumph  by  simple,  tender  hearts, 
and  turning  to  them  with  entire  attachment  to  show  that  his 
happiness  was  mainly  in  seeing  them  happy,  and  then  cast  head- 
long in  the  very  midst  of  that  affrighted  little  flock  bleeding, 
agonized,  dying.  "Vanity  of  vanities!"  It  is,  in  all  history, 
among  the  most  pathetic  pictures  we  ever  saw  or  ever  shall  see. 
Who,  after  this,  dare  glory  in  wisdom,  might,  strength ;  in 
love,  in  honor,  in  the  sweetness  of  these  transient  hours?  Who 
that  remembers  that  sign  can  helping  saying  with  dread,  "  I 
myself  also  am  but  a  man  !"  The  utter  hollowness  and  emp- 
tiness, the  almost  derisory  vanity,  of  our  mortal  condition. 
Think  first  of  that.  The  sign  tells  us  of  the  brutality,  the  mad- 
ness, of  human  nature.  Ah !  yes ;  glorify  it  as  they  will,  this 
human  nature,  of  which  so  much  is  expected,  to  which  so  much 
is  ascribed,  what  is  it  at  length  but  brutal,  hateful,  horrible'? 
If  the  murdered  man  be  a  sign  of  the  vanity  of  our  estate  his 
assassin  is  a  sign  of  the  depravity  of  our  condition.  Man  has 
in  him  still  the  cunning,  the  ferocity,  the  cold,  pitiless  temper 
of  the  worst  order  of  the  brutes.  And  this  attests  the  need  of 
a  redemption  for  him ;  a  cleansing,  a  conversion  to  God.  It 
shows  that  such  a  work  of  moral  repair  is  beyond  all  human 
power ;  it  demands  a  God  to  transform  the  devil  into  the  angel. 
It  ought  to  make  us  shudder  when  we  think  of  our  own  sin, 
which  is  in  its  essence  and  quality  the  same  as  that  of  the 
trembling  wretch  who  now  lies  awaiting  his  doom.  It  ought  to 
make  us  laugh  to  scorn  and  drive  away  the  fools  who  deny  the 
sinfulness  of  sin,  and  talk  against  the  penitential  and  disciplinary 


350  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 

doctrine  and  system  of  our  Christian  religion.  The  sign,  more- 
over, is  an  instance  of  that  horrible  crime,  the  defiling  of  a  land 
with  blood.  It  has  always  been  so  considered.  Human  blood, 
shed  lawlessly  and  when  it  ought  not  to  be  shed,  defileth  the  land 
in  which  it  is  spilled.  It  calls  for  expiation  ;  it  bids  men  rise 
up,  and,  as  well  as  they  can,  cleanse  it  away.  And  since 
Almighty  God  is  Lord  over  all  the  people,  when  he  suffers  such 
defilement  to  occur  it  is  a  sign  of  judgment.  Wicked  things 
are  done  among  us;  pride,  luxury,  extravagance  increase,  with 
blasphemy  of  God's  holy  name,  desecration  of  his  day,  neglect 
of  his  worship,  reversing  of  his  laws,  abandonment  of  Christian 
principle,  falsifying  of  standards  of  right  and  wrong;  selfish- 
ness, drunkenness,  infidelity,  fornication,  systematic  child  mur- 
der before  birth,  dissolute  manners,  divorces.  "  Shall  I  not 
visit  for  these  things,  saith  the  Lord ?"  He  does  visit;  and  we 
see  the  innocent  blood  shed  and  the  land  defiled  thereby.  This 
bids  to  deep  repentance,  amendment  of  morals,  return  to  God ; 
to  putting  away  the  sin  by  righteousness  and  washing  out  the 
stain  by  pleading  the  precious  blood  of  Christ  in  expiation  of 
the  deep,  dark  sins  with  which  society  is  poisoned,  and  by 
which,  if  unchecked,  it  shall  in  time  be  broken  up. 

GOD'S  SOVEREIGNTY  DECLARED. 

The  sign  declares  to  us  the  sovereignty  of  God  by  subjecting 
us  to  his  righteous  judgments.  There  is  no  escape  from  the 
teaching  of  religion  or  moral  government  of  the  deed  unless 
in  the  notion  that  things  here  come  by  an  iron  fate  or  by  mere 
chance,  or  else  that  we  will  have  no  opinion  about  them,  but  let 
things  go  as  they  list  and  give  ourselves  no  thought  to  them. 
But  this  is  an  hour  in  which  the  people  are  in  no  mood  for  such 
trifling.  They  do  not  believe  that  the  death  of  the  President 
was  the  result  of  chance,  nor  yet  that  it  came  of  a  rigid,  inflex- 
ible fatalistic  order,  without  will  or  purpose  or  moral  method ; 
nor  are  they  saying,  "  Oh,  never  mind  how  things  in  this  world 
are  so  long  as  we  remain  secure."  There  are  great  searchings  of 
heart ;  there  is  a  great,  purposeful,  solemn  thought  awake  every- 
where. What  meets  it  save  the  old  truth  of  the  moral  govern- 
ment of  God  ?  He  it  is  who  orders  or  permits  whatever  occurs 
on  earth,  in  heaven,  in  hell,  above,  below,  around  us.  And  we 
are  powerless  without  him.  We  shall  not  be  able  to  avert  the 
like  or  worse  calamities  unless  he  help,  and  his  help  must 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  351 

be  sought  through  the  searching  of  his  judgments  and  strict 
conformity  to  his  will.  It  may  be  that  there  are  those  who  do 
not  feel  in  all  this  that  God  is  chastening,  afflicting,  punishing, 
visiting.  That  is  the  acme  and  practical  outcome  of  atheism. 
If  that  were  the  general  feeling,  or  even  a  widespread  feeling, 
well  might  one  despair  and  ask  to  be  taken  away  ;  for  nothing 
can  be  conceived  so  hopeless  as  the  state  of  that  man  or  that 
people  who  could  deny  that  God  visits  for  sin  at  the  very  instant 
in  which  his  blows  are  descending  on  the  guilty  and  his  judg- 
ments are  in  the  land. 

Yet  once  more — the  sign  is  a  sign  full  of  light,  sweetness  and 
glory.  It  shows  how  God  can  turn  evil  to  good,  the  gloom 
of  death  into  the  brightness  of  day.  Is  not  this  altogether 
wonderful  ?  Perhaps  no  more  atrocious  act  was  ever  perpetrated 
than  that  of  this  assassination.  And  yet  we  see  what  it  has  led  to. 
How  it  has  drawn  us  together,  softened  our  hearts,  revived  our 
faith  in  goodness  and  virtue.  What  an  ideal  of  patience, 
resignation  to  God's  will,  faith  in  him,  fortitude,  have  we  now 
set  up  among  us !  Who  is  not  the  better  for  it  all  ?  What 
unforeseen  results  have  flowed  from  that?  Are  we  not  all,  for 
a  time,  like  brethren  beloved,  children  of  one  house,  united 
heart  to  heart  and  hand  to  hand.  If  there  be  nothing  more  hor- 
rible than  the  dire  act  itself,  surely  there  is  nothing  sweeter  than 
the  wide  sympathy,  the  unification  of  such  multitudes  of  people, 
not  here  only,  but  through  the  civilized  world,  drawn  to  each 
other  by  pity,  by  tenderness,  by  reverence  for  simple,  virtuous, 
homely  ways,  and  by  a  deep  religion  which  undoubtedly  lies  at 
the  inmost  depths,  even  in  hearts  where  we  hardly  suspected  its 
existence. 

STRENGTH  OF  THE  ETERNAL  PROMISES. 

The  sign  tells  us  much  besides,  too  much  to  declare  at  once. 
But  last  of  all,  it  assures  us  of  the  strength  of  the  eternal  prom- 
ises. Not  here  are  the  crown,  the  reward,  the  peace.  They 
shall  be  beyond  these  fading  scenes.  This  life  cannot  be  all ; 
set  in  the  midst  of  so  many  and  great  dangers,  so  full  of  care 
and  sorrow,  and  in  an  instant  cut  off.  Surely  this  is  not  all ; 
surely  there  must  be  more  to  come ;  and  here  the  promise  of 
the  Gospel  meets  us,  bidding  us  set  our  hopes  on  things  above, 
and  showing  to  faith  and  love  the  inheritance  incorruptible  and 
undefiled  and  that  fadeth  not  away. 


852  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

I  come  back  to  the  question  of  the  text — "  What  are  these 
things  to  us  ?"  O  brethren,  let  us  rather  ask,  What  are  they  not 
to  us  ?  Certainly  the  Lord  is  among  this  people,  though  some 
know  it  not ;  it  is  his  own  voice  that  we  hear.  These  things, 
not  regarded  in  the  religious  light,  were  but  a  nine-days' 
wonder,  impressing  us  for  a  time,  then  forgotten ;  and,  apart 
from  the  clear  shining  of  the  lamp  of  God  upon  them,  they 
were  but  like  fitful  gleamings  which  early  die  away  into  dark- 
ness and  night.  But  it  shall  not  be  so.  This  time  of  mingled 
light  and  shadow,  this  day  not  dark  nor  light,  neither  day  nor 
night,  shall  be  forever  remembered,  and  for  many,  many  years 
influential  in  our  borders.  It  was  the  time  of  God's  visitations, 
when  it  pleased  him,  by  bitter  medicine  of  grief,  to  heal  our 
sickness,  to  restore  a  moral  tone  to  the  people,  to  revive  old 
faiths,  to  set  old  truths  full  in  view,  to  give  us  a  view  of  the 
next  world,  to  humble  the  pride  of  man,  to  bring  him  low  at 
the  steps  of  the  great  throne,  to  lead  him  to  give  glory  and 
honor  to  the  King  of  Kings  and  Lord  of  Lords.  I  have  told 
you  something  of  what  all  this  is  to  you.  And  let  me  add 
affectionately  a  bidding  to  prayer.  To-morrow  is  the  day  when 
the  dust  shall  return  to  dust  again.  Keep  it  thoughtfully, 
calmly.  Profane  it  not  by  the  pursuits  of  ordinary  life. 
Humble  yourselves  under  the  mighty  hand  of  God,  and  let  this 
be  the  double  burden  of  our  petitions,  that  Almighty  God  will 
sanctify  the  common  affliction  to  the  whole  nation,  and  that,  by 
his  holy  inspiration,  he  will  bring  it  home,  for  repentance, 
amendment  of  life,  and  stirring  up  of  faith  and  zeal  to  every 
man  in  the  lesser  round  of  his  own  uncertain  and  dangerous 
life. 


GARFIELD'S  VICTORY  IN  DEATH. 

HIS    BENEFICINT    POLICY    STRONGER   NOW  THAN  THOUGH  H3  HAD 
SERVED    HIS    FULL    TERM. 

Thousands  were  unable  to  get  into  the  Brooklyn  Tabernacle. 
The  auditorium  was  hung  with  black.  Dr.  Talmage  took  his 
text  from  Judges  xvi.  30 — "  So  the  dead  which  he  slew  at  his 
death  were  more  than  they  which  he  slew  in  his  life."  It  some- 
times occurs,  said  Dr.  Talmage,  that  after  an  industrious  and 
useful  and  eminent  life,  in  the  closing  hour  a  man  will  achieve 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  353 

more  good  than  in  all  the  years  that  preceded.  My  text  has  a 
very  graphic  illustration  in  the  overshadowing  event  of  this 
hour.  President  Garfield  during  lus  active  life  was  the  enemy 
of  sin,  the  enemy  of  sectionalism,  the  enemy  of  everything 
small-hearted  and  depraved  and  impure,  and  he  gave  many  a 
crushing  blow  against  these  moral  and  political  Philistines ;  but 
in  his  dying  hours  he  made  the  grandest  achievement.  The 
eleven  weeks  of  his  dying  were  mightier  than  the  half  century 
of  his  living.  My  object  this  morning  is  for  inspiration  and 
comfort  to  show  that  our  President's  expiration  has  done  more 
good  than  a  prolonged  administration  possibly  could  have 
accomplished.  Had  he  died  one  month  before  he  was  shot 
down  by  the  assassin  he  would  not  have  had  his  administration 
fairly  launched.  Had  he  died  six  months  from  now  by  that 
time  his  advanced  policy  of  reform  would  have  destroyed  the 
friendship  of  many  of  his  followers.  Had  he  died  many  years 
from  now  he  would  have  been  out  of  office  and  in  the  decline 
of  life.  There  was  no  time  in  the  last  fifty  years  when  his 
deathbed  could  have  been  so  effective,  and  there  could  have 
been  no  time  in  the  fifty  years  to  come  when  his  deathbed  could 
have  been  so  overwhelmingly  impressive.  We  talk  a  great  deal 
about  the  faith  of  the  Christian  and  the  courage  of  the  Chris- 
tian and  the  hope  of  the  Christian,  but  all  the  sermons  preached 
in  the  past  twenty  years  on  that  subject  put  together  would  not 
be  so  impressive  as  the  magnificent  demeanor  of  our  dying 
Chief  Magistrate. 

NORTH    AND    SOUTH    UNITED. 

President  Garfield's  death  more  than  a  prolonged  administra- 
tion has  consummated  good  feeling  between  the  North  and  the 
South.  It  ie  not  shaking  hands  over  a  bloody  chasm  according 
to  the  rhetoric  of  campaign  documents,  but  it  is  shaking  hands 
across  and  over  a  palpitating  heart  large  enough  to  take  in  both 
sections.  He  in  his  dying  moment  took  the  hand  of  the  North 
and  the  hand  of  the  South  and  joined  them,  and  with  a  pathos 
that  can  never  be  forgotten  practically  said,  "  Be  brothers." 
Ah,  my  friends,  he  has  done  in  his  death  what  he  could  not 
have  done  in  all  his  life.  Where  are  the  flags  at  half-mast  to- 
day ?  At  New  Orleans  and  Boston,  at  Chicago  and  Charleston. 
The  bulletins  of  his  health  were  as  anxiously  watched  on  the 
south  side  of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line  as  on  the  north  side. 


354  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

Ever  and  anon  we  thought  we  had  our  old  difficulties  settled 
and  our  old  grudges  adjusted,  but  the  quarrel  broke  out  in  some 
new  place.  It  seems  now  that  the  requiem  of  to-day  must  for- 
ever drown  out  all  sectional  prejudices.  After  what  we  have 
seen  during  the  last  eleven  weeks  the  people  of  the  South  must 
be  welcomed  in  all  our  Northern  homes  as  we  of  the  North 
would  be  welcome  in  all  the  Southern  homes.  If  at  any  future 
time  some  one  should  want  to  kindle  anew  the  fires  of  hatred 
lie  would  find  bdt  little  fuel  and  no  sulphurous  match.  South 
Carolina  and  Massachusetts,  stand  up  and  be  married.  Ala- 
bama and  New  York,  stand  up  and  join  hands  in  betrothal. 
Georgia  and  Ohio,  stand  up  while  I  pronounce  you  one.  "And 
whom  God  hath  joined  together  let  not  man  put  asunder."  No 
living  man  could  have  accomplished  this. 

Dr.  Talmage  went  on  to  say  that  President  Garfield's  death 
accomplished  more  than  his  life  in  setting  forth  the  truth  that 
when  our  time  comes  to  go  the  most  energetic  and  skilful  oppo- 
sition cannot  hinder  the  event,  and  then  demanded,  "  Who 
knows  but  that  God  may  make  this  national  trouble  the  purifi- 
cation of  all  the  people  ?" 

MRS.  GARFIELD'S  LAST  HOUR  IN  THE  WHITE  HOUSE. 

Poor  Mrs.  Garfield  !  I  never  read  anything  more  pathetic  in 
my  life  than  what  I  saw  in  the  newspapers  on  Friday,  when 
they  said  she  had  gone  to  the  White  House  to  gather  up  the 
private  property  of  the  family  to  have  it  taken  to  her  home  in 
Ohio.  Can  you  imagine  any  greater  torture  than  for  her  to  go 
through  those  rooms  in  the  White  House  associated  with  her 
husband's  kindness  and  her  husband's  anxieties  and  her  hus- 
band's sufferings?  You  see  she  had  with  her  womanly  arms 
fought  on  his  side  all  the  way  up  the  steep  of  life.  She  had 
helped  him  in  severe  economies  when  they  were  very  poor,  and 
with  her  own  needle  she  had  clothed  her  household  and  with 
her  own  hands  she  had  made  them  bread.  In  the  dark  days 
when  slanderous  assault  frowned  upon  him  she  never  forsook 
him.  They  had  fought  the  battle  of  life  and  gained  the  day, 
and  they  were  seated  side  by  side  at  the  tip-top  to  enjoy  the 
victory.  Then  the  blow  came.  What  a  reversal  of  fortune ! 
From  what  midnoon  to  what  midnight !  Some  say  it  will  kill 
her.  I  do  not  believe  it.  The  same  God  who  has  helped  her 
on  until  now  will  help  her  through.  The  mighty  God  who  pro- 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  355 

tected  James  A.  Garfield  at  Chickamauga  and  in  the  fiery  hell 
of  many  battles  will,  when  these  members  of  the  broken  family 
circle  come  together  next  week  in  their  little  home  at  Mentor, 
protect  and  comfort  the  wife,  the  children  and  the  aged  mother. 
I  invoke  the  grace  of  high  Heaven  on  those  seven  broken 
hearts. 

Ascend,  thou  disenthralled  spirit!  Ascend  and  take  thy 
place  among  those  who  have  come  up  out  of  great  tribulation 
and  had  their  robes  washed  and  made  white  in  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb !  This  Samson  of  political  power,  this  giant  of  moral 
strength,  had  in  other  days,  like  the  man  of  the  text,  slain  the 
lion  of  wrathful  opposition  and  had  carried  off  the  gates  of 
wrong  from  their  rusty  hinges ;  but  the  peroration  of  his  life 
was  mightier  than  all  that  preceded.  "  And  so  the  dead  which 
he  slew  at  his  death  were  more  than  they  which  he  slew  in  his 
life." 

While  I  try  to  comfort  you  to-day  there  is  a  lesson  that 
comes  sounding  from  the  tramp  of  the  Senatorial  pall-bearers 
and  rolling  out  from  the  roaring  wheels  of  the  draped  rail  train 
flying  westward  and  coming  up  from  the  open  grave  that  awaits 
our  dead  President.  "  Put  not  your  trust  in  princes  nor  in  the 
son  of  man  in  whom  there  is  no  help.  His  breath  goeth  forth  ; 
in  that  very  day  his  thoughts  perish.  Happy  is  he  that  hath 
the  God  of  Jacob  for  his  help."  Fare  thee  well,  departed 
chieftain  !  Fare  thee  well ! 

As  Dr.  Talmage  retired  from  the  verge  of  the  platform  Pro- 
fessor Morgan  played  "  The  Dead  March  in  Saul,"  and  the  vast 
assemblage,  every  man  and  woman  of  whom  was  attired  in 
plain  black,  slowly  separated. 


SUBMISSION  TO  GOD'S  WILL. 

LESSONS  FROM  THE    DEATH    OF   PRESIDENT    GARFIELD SERVICES 

IN    THE    CHURCH  WHERE  PRESIDENT  ARTHUR  WORSHIPS. 

The  entrance  to  the  Church,  of  the  Heavenly  Rest,  on  Fifth 
Avenue,  New  York,  the  church  where  President  Arthur  attends, 
was  handsomely  draped.  A  portiere  of  black  broadcloth  was 
looped  up  against  the  granite  columns  of  the  portico,  and  above 
it  an  American  flag,  covered  with  crape,  reached  out  into  the 


356  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

street.  Within  the  edifice  the  altar  was  overhung  with  a  semi- 
transparent  black  cloth,  through  which  a  white  cross  and  the 
word  "Jesus"  on  a  violet  altar  cloth  were  barely  visible.  The 
pastor,  Rev.  Dr.  Ilowland,  was  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Morgan, 
an  English  clergyman.  Dr.  Howland  announced  that  there 
would  be  a  ceremonial  service  in  the  church  to-day  at  two 
o  clock,  that  being  the  hour  assigned  by  the  Bishop  of  the  dio- 
cese as  the  likely  time  when  the  remains  of  the  late  President 
will  be  given  back  to  earth.  Dr.  Howland  was  suffering  from 
the  effects  of  a  severe  cold,  but  expressed  a  hope  that  he  would 
be  able  to  say  a  few  words  upon  Garfield's  life,  character  and 
death  to-day.  The  hymn  "  God  bless  our  native  land "  pre- 
ceded the  sermon,  which  was  delivered  by  Rev.  Dr.  Morgan. 
His  text  was  "  Our  Father  which  art  in  Heaven  :  Thy  will  be 
done." 

In  all  lands  where  the  Bible  was  known,  the  preacher  thought 
that  the  words  "  Our  Father  which  art  in  Heaven"  were  better 
known  and  oftener  spoken  than  any  other  contained  in  the  holy 
book.  It  was  the  temlerest  phrase  known  to  the  Christian 
"heart.  In  the  midst  of  the  bereavement  which  afflicted  the 
American  people  so  deeply,  in  the  memory  of  the  cruel  crime 
which  cost  them  the  life  of  their  well-loved  President,  he  as  a 
stranger  among  them  could  understand  how  hard  it  must  be  for 
many  Americans  to  say  to  their  Heavenly  Father,  "Thy  will  be 
done."  It  did  seem  like  a  needless  crime,  it  did  seem  as  if  the 
life  of  the  victim  might  have  been  spared,  but  it  seemed  so  to 
minds  which  cannot  understand  the  Divine  purpose,  cannot  see 
the  end  of  the  Divine  intention.  The  speaker  desired  to  make 
it  easier,  if  he  could,  for  his  hearers  to  speak  these  words  of 
submission.  He  compared  the  Father  in  Heaven  to  the  best  of 
earthly  parents,  and  said  that  while  the  latter  often  erred  in 
iheir  treatment  of  children  it  must  be  remembered  that  the 
former  could  not  err.  God  always  knew  what  was  best  for  his 
children.  There  was  perhaps  no  relationship  on  earth  so  strong 
and  lasting  as  the  relationship  of  parent  to  child.  He  did  not 
refer  to  those  parents,  of  whom  the  world  had  far  too  many, 
who  care  not  whether  their  children's  footsteps  tended  towards 
heaven  or  towards  hell ;  but  he  spoke  of  the  conduct  of  the  best 
of  earthly  parents,  the  most  prayerful,  the  most  devoted.  It 
was  impossible  for  earthly  parents  to  know  to  a  certainty  the 
talents  and  dispositions  of  their  children,  and  hence  it  was 


PRESIDENT  OARFIELD.  357 

impossible  for  them  always  to  decide  what  was  best  for  their 
children,  earnestly  and  unselfishly  as  they  might  desire  to  do 
so. 

HUMAN    FALLIBILITY. 

How  often  it  was  that  a  parent,  guided  by  the  best  of  inten- 
tions, thrust  his  child  into  a  business  for  which  he  was  utterly 
unsuited,  refusing  to  allow  him  to  choose  an  occupation  where- 
in he  would  become  the  most  useful  and  the  most  happy.  How 
often  it  was  that  a  parent,  looking  only  to  what  he  believed  to 
be  the  child's  best  good,  led  him  into  a  matrimonial  alliance 
which  could  not  be  a  happy  one.  Such  were  some  of  the  mis- 
takes of  earthly  parents  despite  all  their  love  for  their  children 
and  their  desire  to  secure  their  happiness.  But  the  heavenly 
Parent  knows  all  about  his  children — knew  every  heart-beat  and 
every  word  that  passed  their  lips  as  well  as  the  words  that  were 
unspoken.  He  knew  how  many  talents  he  had  given  to  each 
and  how  each  disposition  turned.  He  never  made  mistakes. 
He  mixed  up  the  bitter  and  the  sweet  of  every  life  so  that  it 
should  yield  the  greatest  glory  to  him  and  develop  best  for  its 
<>v.-n  eternal  good.  Could  the  mother  forget  her  child?  Yes, 
even  that  might  be;  but  God  was  ever  mindful  of  his  children. 
God  had  refused  to  prolong  the  life  of  the  beloved  President  of 
the  United  States;  he  had  refused  it  deliberately  and  because 
it  was  best  to  refuse  it.  Let  Christians  be  sure  of  that.  Let 
them  know  that  God  was  always  right.  Let  them  kneel  before 
the  body  of  the  dead  President  was  yet  consigned  to  the  tomb  j 
let  them  kneel  now  and  say,  "  Our  Father  which  art  in  Heaven, 
the  blow  is  a  heavy  one ;  the  providence  is  dark ;  but  thou 
knowest  best ;  we  can  trust  thee  when  we  cannot  understand 
thee." 


SPRINGS  OF  CONSOLATION. 

HARD     TO     LEAVE     THIS      BEAUTIFUL     WORLD GARFIELD's     SOL- 
DIERLY   BEARING SERMON     BY     THE    REV.  DR.  COLLYER. 

"  Every  valley  shall  be  exalted  and  every  mountain  and  hill 
shall  be  made  low.  And  the  crooked  shall  be  made  straight 
and  the  rough  places  plain.  And  all  flesh  shall  see  it  together, 
for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it"  (Isaiah  xl.  4  ^nd  5) 


358  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

was  the  text  selected  yesterday  by  Dr.  Collyer  in  the  Church  of 
the  Messiah.  Applying  it  to  the  death  of  President  Garfield 
he  said :  We  can  meet  no  more  as  we  met  last  Sunday  with 
some  little  gleam  of  hope.  That  which  we  greatly  feared  has 
come,  and  human  hope  is  slain  with  the  human  life.  And  while 
we  must  all  find  deeper  springs  of  consolation  than  this,  that 
there  is  no  more  sorrow  or  crying  for  our  dear  friend,  who 
seems  to  have  died  in  every  home,  and  to  be  mourned  for  as 
their  very  own  by  every  family,  and  while  we  are  sure  to  find 
such  consolation  in  God's  good  time,  I  confess  it  is  hard  for  any 
of  us  to  do  this  just  now,  because  while  we  must  submit  to  the 
inevitable  doom  which  has  fallen  on  the  nation  we  are  not  re- 
signed to  it.  Nor  was  he  resigned  to  it  who  is  dead,  and  to  my 
mind  it  is  of  all  things  natural  and  right  that  we  should  stand  in 
this  attitude,  not  towards  heaven,  God  forbid,  but  toward  the 
evil  powers  that  have  taken  his  life.  When  death  comes  in 
what  we  have  to  call  the  course  of  nature,  and  strong  men  fall 
in  the  midst  of  their  days,  we  have  to  be  quiet,  usually,  and  to 
say  it  was  God's  will.  But  the  first  impulse,  and  the  last,  I 
trust,  in  such  a  sorrow  as  this,  is  to  say,  with  such  light  as  we 
have  to  guide  and  help  us,  it  cannot  be  God's  will  any  more 
than  it  is  ours  that  we  should  lose  our  President  in  this  infernal 
way,  and  the  stroke  did  not  come  from  Heaven,  but  from  hell, 
to  all  human  seeming;  so  why  should  we  give  up  to  it  and  try 
to  be  resigned,  and  say  that,  in  some  way  we  cannot  yet  under- 
stand, it  will  be  all  right,  when  this  that  crushes  the  nation's 
heart  and  has  torn  the  life  out  of  the  noblest  man  among  us, 
and  outraged  the  most  sacred  covenant  we  can  make,  and 
brought  the  banner  of  the  nation  down  to  half  mast,  and  set 
fifty  millions  of  men,  women  and  children  weeping  by  one  grave, 
and  cast  a  great,  black  blot  against  the  whole  glory  of  the 
Republic — how  can  this  bring  resignation?  I  have  said  hun- 
dreds of  times  that  the  sun  never  shone  on  a  nation  so  gentle 
and  so  ready  to  look  for  the  silver  lining  in  the  blackest  clouds 
as  this  of  ours,  and  to  forget  and  forgive.  But  instead  of  the 
deep  heart  out  of  which  all  this  springs  it  would  reveal  a  heart 
shallow  and  worthless  beyond  measure,  and  only  eager  to  be 
having  its  good  time  again  if  we  were  not  full  of  rebellion  and 
wrath  against  this  cruel  stroke,  and  bound  to  search  for  the 
reasons  which  lie  beyond  the  evil  spirit  incarnate  in  the  man 
who  struck  the  blow. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  859 


LOVING    THE    WORLD. 

It  is  a  consolation  to  me  that  we  are  not  resigned  then,  and 
do  not  mean  to  be,  but  stand  ready  to  turn  on  the  very  pulpits 
in  which  men  would  teach  us  already  that  God  was  in  it  all  and 
to  say,  "  How  do  you  know  that?  Where  is  your  authority!'' 
We  would  fain  believe  that  God  will  bring  good  out  of  this 
great,  sad  evil,  but  it  is  the  evil  we  have  to  front  and  fight,  and 
to  make  that  seem  good  to  us  would  it  not  paralyze  the  very 
nerve  of  our  frames  ?  The  mind  of  our  dead  President  was 
one  with  ours.  He  wanted  to  the  very  last  to  live,  and  said  so, 
and  scanned  the  poor,  thin  face  for  some  sign  that  it  might  be 
so,  and  was  no  more  resigned  to  go  than  we  were  to  have  him 
go,  and  felt  as  we  do  that,  so  far  as  we  can  understand  the 
divine  love  which  encircles  all  our  lives,  it  was  not  God's  will 
that  he  should  perish.  Now,  nothing  he  has  done  seems  more 
beautiful  to  me  than  the  grand,  soldierly  resolution  to  hold  on 
to  his  life  and  have  the  whole  worth  of  it  for  his  own  sake  and 
for  ours.  Life  was  dear  to  him.  He  loved  the  world.  It  was 
a  beautiful  world.  When  he  had  taken  the  great,  solemn  oath 
standing  before  all  the  people,  the  first  thing  he  did  was  to  turn 
to  his  old  mother  and  his  wife  and  kissed  them,  sealing  in  that 
grand,  simple  way  the  oath  he  had  taken  to  serve  us  well.  In 
some  men  that  would  have  been  the  merest  clap-trap  ;  in  James 
Garfield  it  was  the  fine  flower  of  his  whole  manhood.  They 
take  the  sacrament  when  they  are  crowned  in  the  great  old 
lands ;  that  was  his  sacrament,  and  the  noble  old  mother  blessed 
her  son,  and  the  sweet,  true  wife  her  husband,  and  the  children's 
hearts  beat  quick  and  proud  for  their  father,  and  surely  since 
the  world  was  made  we  have  seen  nothing  more  sacred  than 
this  in  which  the  old  home  life  flashed  out  for  an  instant  in 
that  new  beatitude.  And  so  the  home  and  the  home  treasures 
were  what  the  good  President  fought  for  through  the  weakness 
and  the  pain.  How  could  he  submit  if  there  was  any  help  on 
earth  or  in  heaven  ?  He  saw  the  fear  in  the  face  that  had  chal- 
lenged him  once  out  of  all  the  world,  and  heard  it  in  the  voice 
to  which  his  heart  answered,  and  heard  it  in  the  sobs  of  the 
children,  and  then  the  instinct  of  a  true  man  who  has  all  these 
treasures  to  guard  rose  towering  like  some  great  angel  over  the 
threat  of  dissolution.  I  love  to  think  of  this  splendid  soldierly 
bearing  as  he  lies  there  dead,  and  while  it  is  all  the  harder  for 


360  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

us  to  lose  such  a  man  there  is  still  another  little  spring  of  con- 
solation that  he  suffers  no  longer,  who  suffered  so  much. 
Something  had  been  surely  lost  had  he  been  resigned  and  sub- 
missive and  said,  "  It  is  the  will  of  God,  and  so  I  suppose  it  is 
all  right." 


HIS  TRUE  CHARACTER  SHOWN  BY  DEATH. 

SERMON    BY    REV.   DR.    CHAPMAN    AT  ST.    PAUL'S    METHODIST  EPIS- 
COPAL   CHURCH. 

"  Lessons  of  the  Event"  was  the  subject  of  the  morning  dis- 
course in  St.  Paul's  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  at  Fourth  Av. 
and  Twenty-second  St.  Dr.  Chapman,  the  pastor,  preached. 
The  church  was  draped,  and  from  the  pulpit  was  suspended  a 
large  portrait  of  President  Garfield. 

We  are  gathered,  said  the  preacher,  under  the  shadow  of  a 
great  sorrow,  and  a  greater  crime.  Our  hearts  are  sad,  and  our 
eyes  are  filled  with  tears,  not  merely  that  a  good  and  wise  man, 
a  great  statesman,  and  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  our  nation,  is 
dead,  but  also  that  he  was  killed  by  the  bullet  of  an  assassin. 
It  would  be  a  pleasant  way  to  spend  the  hour  in  eulogizing  the 
name  of  James  A.  Garfield.  The  claims  of  his  public  life  will 
need  volumes  to  contain  them ;  but  it  is  perfectly  proper  in  the 
house  of  God  and  on  the  Lord's  Day  to  note  the  effect  of  this 
crime  upon  the  country  which  we  love. 

That  assassination  is  to  be  the  tool  of  political  reformers  in 
the  future  there  is  no  reason  to  believe,  nor  that  the  crime  was 
planned  or  known  to  any  one  but  the  depraved  fanatic  who 
struck  the  blow;  but  it  is  doing  no  one  injustice  to  say  that 
history  teaches  that  a  person  who  starts  or  aids  a  crime  by 
slander  and  calumny  must  share  the  blame  with  him  who  does 
the  deed.  I  have  no  objections  to  parties  in  politics — they  are 
a  necessary  factor  in  a  republican  form  of  government ;  but  I 
do  protest  in  emphatic  terms  against  one  party  blackening  the 
character  of  its  opposing  candidate  in  the  effort  to  elect  its  own 
man.  Political  campaigns,  if  rightly  conducted,  are  educational 
in  their  effect,  but  not  if  scandal  forms  the  chief  argument. 
The  bullet  of  an  unprincipled,  disappointed  office-seeker  has 
subdued  all  opposition  and  disarmed  all  criticism,  and  the  whole 
world  mourns  to-day.  Would  to  God  it  had  not  been  left  for 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  561 

such  a  cause  to  teach  us  the  true  character  of  James  A.  Garfield  I 
If  this  spirit  of  sympathy  shall  teach  us  to  have  more  charity 
for  those  in  authority,  our  beloved  President  will  not  have  died 
in  vain.  One  lesson  taught  us  is  that  a  public  officer  is  elected 
not  to  dispense  Federal  patronage  in  return  for  votes,  but  to 
fulfil  the  duties  of  his  office.  There  is  nothing  that  should 
make  every  true  American  honor  the  memory  of  Garfield  so 
much  as  the  fact  that  he  himself  was  President  and  not  another ; 
and  Lord  help  his  successor  to  follow  in  his  footsteps,  and  not 
to  be  led  by  any  advisers.  By  birth,  education,  moral  charac- 
ter and  ability,  our  President  was  a  peer  among  men.  Political 
intrigue  did  not  advance  him  through  the  successive  steps  from 
the  log  hut  to  the  White  House,  but  pluck  and  worth.  His  life 
furnishes  an  example  worthy  the  study  of  every  young  man  who 
seeks  an  example  to  follow,  and  is  worthy  the  study  of  every  man 
of  riper  years  who  would  learn  how  to  conduct  his  public  life 
in  the  best  way.  His  domestic  life  was  grand.  The  chief 
corner-stone  of  all  our  institutions  is  the  Christian  home. 
Blessed  be  God  for  such  a  mother  and  such  a  wife  as  we  have 
seen  this  summer.  His  religious  life  was  also  beautiful,  and  in 
the  years  to  come  there  will  be  three  great  names  in  the  history 
of  our  country,  Washington,  Lincoln  and  Garfield. 


WHAT  THE  PEOPLE  MUST  LEARN. 

THE     REV.    HENRY     WARD     BEECHER     AT     PLYMOUTH     CONGREGA- 
TIONAL   CHURCH. 

There  were  three  or  four  hundred  persons  in  front  of  Ply- 
mouth Church  before  10  o'clock,  and  when  the  Rev.  Henry 
Ward  Beecher  ascended  the  pulpit  three  quarters  of  an  hour 
later  there  was  not  a  seat  to  be  had  in  the  church.  All  the 
aisles  were  filled,  and  the  crowd  extended  out  into  the  street  as 
far  as  the  force  of  his  voice  could  be  heard,  while  three  or  four 
hundred  went  away  when  they  found  that  there  was  no  chance 
of  obtaining  admittance.  The  church  was  trimmed  simply  but 
tastefully.  The  pillars  of  the  organ  were  entwined  with  white 
crape,  while  from  the  top  of  the  organ  were  suspended  graceful 
folds  of  black  and  white.  Pieces  of  black  and  white  crape, 
extending  around  the  building,  were  attached  to  the  cornice  and 
16 


362  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

also  to  the  railing  of  the  gallery.  To  the  right  of  Mr.  Beecher 
was  a  handsome  bank  of  flowers,  and  at  his  left  was  a  bunch  of 
pampas  grass.  Mr.  Beecher  said  in  the  course  of  his  announce- 
ments for  the  week  that  during  the  last  summer  for  the  first 
time  in  thirty  years  he  had  been  able  to  remain  in  comfort  at 
home.  He  trusted  that  in  the  future  he  should  be  able  to  begin 
preaching  on  September  15  instead  of  October  1.  His  text 
was  Psalms  ciii.  15-17,  and  cii.  24-27. 

How  short,  said  Mr.  Beecher,  is  human  life  at  the  longest. 
We  spend  years  in  gathering  knowledge,  and  die  just  as  we  get 
ready  to  use  it.  We  learn  how  to  live  only  to  pass  on.  Yet 
we  are  not  allowed  to  live  even  the  short  life  allotted  to  man. 
A  full  life  is  accounted  fourscore  years,  yet  the  average  one  is 
not  more  than  twoscore.  The  babe  grows  up  to  maturity,  but 
the  web  is  broken  and  man  stumbles  on  the  threshold  of  his 
usefulness.  Moralists  and  poets  have  filled  the  world  with  sad 
strains  at  the  shortness  of  life,  and  to-day  we  stand  before  a 
strange  manifestation  of  Providence.  Why  is  it  that  the  good 
man  dies,  apparently  in  the  beginning  of  his  usefulness  ?  Why 
is  it  that  the  hero  to  whom  we  pinned  our  faith  has  passed 
away  ?  We  had  gone  through  the  war  victoriously,  and  had 
lived  through  reconstruction  ;  we  had  fought  the  fight  against 
greenback  money  and  won ;  we  had  just  entered  on  the  skirts 
of  our  promised  land,  when  our  leader,  our  Joshua,  was  stricken 
down.  He  was  a  man  who  united  the  best  elements  of  his 
fellow-countrymen  ;  he  was  firm  yet  gentle,  and  in  him  the  lion 
and  the  lamb  seemed  to  lie  down  together ;  he  was  not  an 
empty  partisan,  but  he  looked  at  all  questions  with  a  calm  and 
unbiassed  mind ;  he  had  a  love  for  learning,  and  he  had  acquired 
it  by  hard  and  incessant  labor ;  he  had  been  bred  upon  hard- 
ship and  poverty,  and  he  had  lived  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow; 
moreover  he  had  been  a  preacher  of  righteousness.  With 
almost  the  first  sound  of  the  trumpet  he  had  gone  forth  to 
defend  his  country,  and  he  earned  a  name  as  one  of  her  leading 
generals.  Later  he  entered  the  highest  councils  of  the  nation, 
and  from  that  time  on  his  name  was  found  connected  with  every 
advanced  measure. 

At  length  the  Republic  called  Garfield  to  its  highest  office, 
because  he  was  the  very  man  for  the  place.  Call  the  names  of 
all  the  men  honorable  and  useful  in  the  courts,  the  army,  and 
the  navy,  or  in  mercantile  life — was  there  any  one  of  them 


PRESIDENT  OARFIELD.  363 

more  needed  than  he  was  ?  Four  months  only  he  presided  over 
the  nation,  but  his  administration  gave  splendid  promises  of 
usefulness.  But  that  bright  vision  has  vanished.  "Garfield 
has  been  shot !"  flashed  along  the  telegraph  wires,  and  the  whole 
world  wept  with  his  family.  The  drama  is  now  ended.  For 
weeks  he  lay  fighting  for  his  life.  There  were  no  more  laurels 
to  put  on  his  brow  and  God  took  him.  After  twenty  years  the 
train  bore  him  westward.  He  who  entered  Washington  four 
months  before  amid  the  clanging  of  bells  and  the  joyous  shout- 
ing of  the  people  was  borne  away  in  silence.  Such  a  funeral 
march  as  that  was  never  seen.  Along  its  route  men  forgot  to 
sleep,  and  watched  its  passage  at  all  times  of  the  night  with 
bowed  heads  and  in  silence.  "  Blessed  are  the  dead  that  die  in 
the  Lord."  For  them  there  are  no  more  burdens  or  sorrows. 
Around  the  burial-place  of  this  man  let  mothers  gather  with 
their  children,  to  teach  them  to  be  brave  and  to  be  honest. 

But  let  us  turn  to  the  sublime  God  from  these  human 
measurements.  What  is  time  to  him  ?  Man's  life  is  like  the 
bubble  on  the  sea,  which  rises  to  the  surface  and  gleams  brightly 
in  the  sun,  but  only  to  burst.  God  measures  all  events  by 
eternity,  so  that  which  may  seem  to  us  to  be  confusion  is  a 
benefit  in  his  eyes.  And  so  some  benefit  may  arise  to  us  from 
this  disaster.  Sometimes  a  single  act  may  outweigh  the  rest  of 
a  man's  life.  So  from  Garfield's  death  we  may  gain  something, 
although  not  in  an  exactly  similar  way.  Washington  is  revered 
for  his  life,  but  how  much  more  elevated  his  memory  would 
have  been  if  he  had  met  with  a  tragic  death  for  his  country. 
Wise  and  gentle  as  our  Saviour's  life  was,  his  death  was  of 
much  more  importance.  Although  we  hoped  to  reap  so  much 
from  Garfield's  life,  we  may  reap  even  more  from  his  death. 
The  North  and  South  have  felt  for  the  first  time  the  healing 
balm  of  mutual  sympathy  and  grief.  The  wounds  left  by  the 
war,  and  not  yet  healed  over,  will  be  mollified.  There  has  been 
no  division  in  the  nation's  sorrow,  and  its  whole  heart  has 
beaten  together.  Charleston  has  felt  the  loss  as  bitterly  as 
Philadelphia,  and  New  Orleans  has  been  as  sincere  in  her  grief 
as  New  York.  Nor  have  party  lines  divided  this  sympathy. 

But  still  more  striking  than  the  unity  of  the  nation  in  its 
grief  has  been  the  unity  of  mankind.  When  Lincoln  was  shot, 
the  world  was  shocked  rather  than  grieved.  England  had  not 
yet  learned  wisdom,  while  the  hands  of  France  were  still  red 


364  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

with  the  blood  of  Mexico.  But  now  no  nation  has  been  so 
obscure  that  it  has  not  expressed  its  sorrow.  From  Russia  and 
Turkey  ou  the  east  to  Japan  on  the  west  there  has  been  a 
common  sorrow.  I  think  that  never  before  has  the  heart-blood 
of  the  world  been  so  stirred.  But  if  this  is  the  first  time,  may 
it  not  be  the  last ! 

This  sympathy  had  also  a  moral  comfort.  Were  there  ever 
before  so  many  prayers  offered  up  ?  The  Mussulman,  the 
Catholic,  the  Protestant,  all  prayed  to  God  as  they  knew  him, 
and  in  their  own  formality.  But  did  God  refuse  to  answer 
them,  and  is  prayer  a  fiction  ?  In  the  lower  sphere  God  gave 
no  answer,  but  in  the  higher  one  he  did.  Is  there  no  other 
answer  of  prayer  save  in  continuance  of  life  !  Could  we  not  be 
more  fortified  and  strengthened  by  President  Garfield's  death 
than  by  his  life  ?  Is  this  not  a  more  sublime  answer  to  our 
prayers  ?  We  see  people  dying  everywhere ;  but  except  in 
the  case  of  near  relations  or  friends  we  scarcely  feel  that  death 
is  an  affliction.  But  why  should  Garfield  not  die  ?  Because  we 
looked  upon  him  as  a  tree  from  which  we  should  gather  only 
good  fruit  ?  But  is  it  not  better  to  have  its  branches  raised 
higher  so  that  it  will  benefit  the  whole  world  ? 

There  are  some  lessons,  continued  Mr.  Beecher,  to  be  drawn 
from  President  Garfield's  death,  and  there  is  one  which  I  wish 
particularly  ambitious  young  men  should  profit  by.  Our 
Government  may  be  compared  to  a  stately  mansion  which  many 
are  desirous  of  entering.  Some  walk  boldly  up  to  its  front 
entrance  and  go  in  ;  but  others  seek  to  enter  by  the  back  way, 
from  which  all  the  refuse  comes.  By  the  nature  of  our  Consti- 
tution we  are  obliged  to  send  men  to  our  legislative  bodies,  and 
sometimes  the  ones  selected  are  not  the  most  suitable  persons. 
But  we  cannot  bear  to  have  the  public  ideal  destroyed  and  the 
opinion  prevail  that  he  who  would  enter  politics  must  give  up 
his  honor,  and  advance  by  ignoble  means.  And  when  we 
behold  a  man  struggling  honorably  for  a  political  career  and 
equipping  himself  as  a  statesman,  it  is  an  example  that  honor 
and  integrity  are  not  incompatible  with  political  advancement, 
and  that  man's  life  will  be  an  example  as  Washington's  has 
been. 

In  the  simplicity  of  our  habits  there  has  been  no  need  of 
protection  around  our  Presidents.  And  it  is  still  true  that  pub- 
lic opinion,  with  us,  is  better  than  the  guard  of  any  European 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  3(35 

monarch.  There  is  no  sense  here  of  wrongs  inflicted  upon  gen- 
eration after  generation  to  stir  men  up  to  madness  against  their 
rulers.  Our  laws  are  of  our  own  making  and  can  be  changed. 
Then  only  a  short  time  must  pass  before  we  are  freed  from  the 
most  hateful  ruler.  Yet  our  legislation  is  incomplete.  I  would 
not  have  a  guard  if  I  were  the  President,  for  I  had  rather  take 
the  bullet  than  be  protected  from  my  fellow-citizens.  But  an 
attempt  on  the  life  of  a  man  whom  we  have  elected  as  our 
leader,  and  upon  whom  we  all  rely,  should  be  treason,  and  its 
punishment  should  be  death.  [Applause.]  But  let  this  be 
done  by  law.  No  man  has  any  more  right  to  assassinate 
Guiteau  than  he  had  to  assassinate  President  Garfield.  Let  us 
stand  for  the  administration  of  justice.  When  the  Rebellion 
ceased  neither  bullet,  sword  nor  halter  slew  one  man,  and  the 
moderation  of  our  people  impressed  the  whole  world.  And  if 
Guiteau  should  die  unlawfully  there  would  be  a  spot  upon  our 
escutcheon.  I  have  been  angry  with  the  miscreant,  but  I  have 
obeyed  the  command  of  the  Lord  not  to  let  the  sun  go  down  on 
my  anger.  Indignation  has  had  its  day ;  now  let  law  have  its 
day.  I  have  a  right  to  speak  thus  of  Guiteau.  He  once  was 
with  us,  but  not  of  us.  ,  He  sat  in  this  sa'hctuary  among  the 
worshippers.  Robert  Burns  expressed  a  faint  hope  in  one  of  his 
poems  that  the  devil  might  yet  be  turned  around  the  corner  and 
be  saved.  Let  us  hope  that  Guiteau's  life  will  not  be  ended 
suddenly  by  that  wanton  sentiment  into  which  you  have  blown 
a  breath. 

But  what  shall  we  say  of  that  sorrowful  group,  Garfield's 
family ;  of  the  mother,  whose  son  preceded  her,  and  of  the 
wife  who  has  shared  her  husband's  elevation  ?  Love  needs  the 
presence  of  the  loved  one,  and  chastened  though  she  is,  there  is 
no  one  that  needs  our  prayers  more  than  she.  May  the  bless- 
ing of  God,  enriched  by  the  tears  of  a  whole  people,  rest  upon 
his  children,  and  may  his  sons  follow  in  his  footsteps. 


WORDS  OF  COMFORT  AND  WARNING. 

THE    REV.    DR.    BELLOWS    AT    ALL    SOULS'    UNITARIAN    CHURCH. 

At  All  Souls'  Church  the  Rev.  Dr.  Bellows  took  for  his  text 
Isaiah  lix.  Y  and  8.     Points  from  his  sermon  are  as  follows : 


366  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

We  are  assembled  about  the  still  open  grave  of  our  dead 
President.  To-morrow  while  our  watch  is  still  kept,  it  will  be 
closed,  in  the  presence  of  a  nation  on  its  knees,  and  with  bene- 
dictions in  its  mouth  and  tears  in  its  eyes.  Distant  nations  are 
near  to  us  to-day  and  to-morrow,  and  great  cathedrals  and  syn- 
agogues and  even  mosques  will  send  up  prayers  to  the  One 
God  and  Father,  that  our  loss,  recognized  as  a  bereavement  for 
humanity  itself,  may  be  sanctified  and  consoled.  It  is  an  ex- 
perience unique  in  its  majesty,  its  world-wide  recognition,  its 
flawless  beauty  and  tragic  pathos.  Already  the  tender  sugges- 
tions of  the  text  are  realized.  A  few  days  ago  we  were  over- 
whelmed, as  if  by  the  shadow  of  God's  wrath ;  to-day,  we  al- 
ready feel  the  holy  light  in  the  thunderous  cloud  and  the  soft 
mercy  that  drops  in  tears  from  its  awful  frown. 

What  passion  of  sorrow  remains  unknown  to  the  nation's 
anguished  and  foreboding  heart?  We  have  wept  ourselves 
dry ;  we  have  prayed  and  pleaded  until  our  lips  have  wearied 
themselves  and  almost  God.  To  him  has  been  accorded  the 
extraordinary  privilege  of  hearing  his  own  eulogy,  of  witnessing 
beforehand  the  grief  attending  his  own  loss !  He  has  handled 
the  wreaths  that  now  lie  upon  his  coffin,  and  felt  with  his  sensi- 
tive instinct  the  love  that  was  already  pouring  into  his  grave ! 
0  happy,  fortunate  man,  to  know  the  grief  and  affection  that 
waited  not  his  death  to  speak  out  the  fullest  tribute  that  could 
follow  it  1  Say  not  he  died  too  soon !  When  such  a  beautiful 
consummation  has  been  possible — unequalled  in  the  history  of 
humanity  ! 

The  long  suspense  for  the  more  hopeful  and  less  informed  is 
over.  The  only  sure  thing  we  have  known  for  weeks  about  the 
President's  case  was  that  he  was  alive.  No  public  prudence,  no 
political  policy,  no  medical  etiquette,  no  professional  caution 
could  disguise  that  fact.  When  the  history  of  his  case  is  fully 
known,  as  it  soon  must  be,  we  shall  learn  how  much  of  the  en- 
couragement and  hopefulness  that  have  existed  on  the  official 
bulletin  was  real,  and  not  merely  scientific  and  professional.  I 
doubt  not  his  responsible  physicians  have  fully  performed  their 
duty,  and  have  given  the  President  the  absolute  benefit  of  the 
one  chance  in  a  hundred,  which  he  was  brave  enough  to  accept. 
We  may  perhaps  learn  something  of  value  when  we  know  not 
only  the  truth,  which  we  may  safely  say  has  never  been  vio- 
lated, but  the  whole  truth,  which  as'safely  we  may  say,  either 


PRESIDENT  OAEFIELD.  367 

that  it  has  not  been  deemed  prudent  to  reveal  it,  or,  as  it  now 
appears,  was  not  surmised  by  the  skill  that  watched  his  bedside. 
I  hope  it  will  come  home  to  the  common  heart  that  nothing  is 
so  prudent  and  wise  as  the  whole  truth,  and  that  in  desperate 
illness,  false  hopes  and  roseate  reports  are  not  useful  and  safe. 
It  has  seemed  strange  that  the  country  has  caught  its  most 
trustworthy  bulletins  of  the  President's  illness  from  the  daily 
messages  of  the  Secretary  of  State  to  our  British  Minister,  and 
that  it  was  deemed  wise  to  deal  with  foreign  courts  and  all  Eu- 
rope with  a  frankness  not  due  to  the  simplicity  of  the  American 
people  themselves.  As  to  the  storm  likely  to  burst  around  the 
heads  of  the  President's  physicians,  I  wish  to  record  my  deep 
conviction  that  they  have  applied  the  most  laborious  pains  and 
the  utmost  skill  to  his  recovery,  and  the  assuaging  of  his  pains 
and  weakness. 

It  is  pleasant  to  see  what  testimonies  are  coming  in  to  the 
magnanimity,  courage,  prudence  of  our  new  President.  There 
seems  to  be  a  profound  resolve  not  to  judge  him  in  advance, 
and  to  give  him  the  benefit  of  every  doubt.  The  new  Presi- 
dent has  the  temptations  of  all  his  past,  to  put  the  administra- 
tion President  Garfield  began  off  its  track,  to  switch  into  the 
old  Custom  House  groove  and  into  the  old  spoils  system  plan. 
I  can  even  believe  that  hitherto  he  has  thought  that  to  be  true 
statesmanship,  and  is  sincere  in  regarding  the  hoped-for  policy 
of  Civil  Service  Reform  as  wild  and  childish  in  its  weak  inno- 
cence. "Well,  if  that  is  to  prove  his  policy — if  he  has  learned 
nothing  to  change  his  old  and  long-known  opinions — then  let 
him  be  warned  that  he  has  troubles  before  him  too  serious  to  be 
hastily  invoked.  The  American  people  are  in  no  mood  to  go 
back  into  a  low,  factious  and  partisan  policy.  They  have 
awakened  to  the  beauty  of  justice,  reason,  candor  and  common 
sense.  They  will  not,  at  least  not  now,  submit  to  the  party 
whip  and  the  usages  of  the  old  caucus  system,  where  a  few  in 
an  inner  ring  outwitted  the  general  wish.  General  Arthur  has 
a  noble  opportunity.  He  has  had,  too,  a  most  gracious,  if  sufr 
fering,  period  for  reflection.  He  can  if  he  will,  by  fidelity  to 
the  spirit  and  policy  with  which  the  late  Administration  has 
been  exalted,  go  on  without  a  break  and  get  the  love  and  honor 
of  the  whole  people  by  proving  himself  the  people's  President, 
and  not  the  President  of  a  party,  much  less  of  a  faction.  If  he 
falls  as  low  as  that,  or  does  not  at  once  rise  far  above  it,  he  will 


368  THE  ASSASSINATION  0V 

be  the  least  honored  among  the  little-honored  predecessors  who 
have  risen  to  the  high  office  by  the  death  of  its  chosen  occu- 
pant. God  knows  with  sincerity  and  heartiness  we  pray  that 
he  may  be  wise  and  prudent,  and  that  the  mantle  of  his  prede- 
cessor may  fall  upon  him.  If  he  wishes  to  lose  all  the  great- 
ness now  thrust  upon  him,  he  has  only  to  take  advantage  of  his 
position,  to  undo  all  his  predecessor  has  done,  and  to  leave  un- 
done all  he  contemplated  and  has  left  ready  to  be  finished. 

But  he  will  not  so  disappoint  his  generous  and  trustful 
friends.  There  was  a  King  Arthur,  with  his  knights,  cele- 
brated in  English  song,  who  is  the  centre  of  all  that  is  inspir- 
ing, beautiful  and  sacred  in  the  early  legends,  and  the  later 
poetry  of  our  motherland.  That  name  may  again  become 
glorious.  It  has  a  great  and  almost  unequalled  opportunity ;  but 
it  must  not  be  coupled  and  surrounded  with  the  knights  who 
have  hitherto  rolled  the  honor  of  the  Empire  State  in  the  dust. 
Alas,  the  Empire  State  has  for  generations  been  chiefly  gov- 
erned from  the  tail  and  not  from  the  head  ;  and  the  one  peril, 
when  a  citizen  of  New  York  is  President,  is  that  the  malignant 
influence  of  Albany  and  city  partisan  politics  (always  hateful) 
should  throw  its  lurid  shade  over  the  whole  policy  and  tone  of 
the  country.  Let  one  Arthur  redeem  the  Empire  State  to 
honor  and  justice  and  a  wide  patriotism,  and  he  shall  receive 
the  lustre  and  share  the  splendor  of  that  ancient  Arthur,  King 
of  British  and  Welsh  Celts,  and  not  the  slave  of  the  modern 
Celts,  who  have  so  long  ruled  the  City  and  State  of  New  York. 


ENDEARED  TO  THE  PEOPLE  AS  A  BROTHER. 

THE    REV.    DR.    J.    H.    RYLANCE    AT    ST.  MARK'S    PROTESTANT    EPIS- 
COPAL   CHURCH. 

St.  Mark's  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  was  well  filled  yes- 
terday morning.  The  pulpit  was  appropriately  decorated  with 
flowers.  The  Rev.  Dr.  J.  H.  Rylance  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mor- 
gan conducted  the  services.  Dr.  Rylance's  sermon  on  the  dead 
President  was  entitled  "  A  Grievous  Mourning."  The  preacher 
said  in  part : 

To  the  utmost  circumference  of  this  vast  country  and  among 
all  the  civilized  people  of  the  earth  there  is  grievous  mourning 
over  the  death  of  one  of  our  fellow-citizens.  Such  a  spectacle 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  369 

of  woe  has  seldom  been  witnessed  in  the  history  of  the  world. 
Many  will  recall  the  horror  of  April,  1865,  but  the  sorrow  over 
the  taking  off  of  Lincoln  was  less  widespread  than  now.  Men 
gather  round  the  form  of  President  Garfield  because  hfe  repre- 
sented the  cause  of  reunion  and  political  amity,  to  which  he  had 
devoted  himself  throughout  a  brilliant  public  career.  Hence 
lamentations  reach  us  from  every  part  of  the  land.  Old  ani- 
mosities are  brushed  away.  More  brilliant  pageants  have  been 
seen  at  funerals  of  kings  and  emperors,  but  this  event  comes 
home  very  closely  to  the  bosoms  of  the  American  people.  The 
general  grief  springs  partly  from  the  heroic  history  of  the  man. 
He  was  a  genuine  son  of  the  soil,  he  was  early  inured  to  labor, 
and  he  never  prostituted  his  power  to  partisan  ends.  Had 
God's  hand  smote  him  invisibly,  or  had  he  fallen  on  the  field  of 
battle,  onr  grief  would  be  deep,  but  submissive ;  but  such  a 
taking  off  by  a  cowardly  assassin  without  provocation  adds  des- 
peration to  our  sorrow.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  for  the  sake  of  hu- 
man nature,  that  it  will  be  found  to  be  the  work  of  a  madman ; 
but  woe  to  him  if  it  shall  be  shown  to  have  been  the  work  of 
malignant  malice. 

The  President's  Christian  resignation,  his  love  of  mother,  wife 
and  children,  his  murmured  words,  "The  people,  the  people — 
my  trust,"  have  endeared  him  to  us  as  a  brother.  When  the 
perturbations  of  feeling  have  died  down  the  abiding  verdict  on 
the  President's  career  will  be  that  it  will  be  lasting  in  its  influ- 
ence, and  this  opinion  will  be  without  qualification.  He  was  a 
lover  of  peace,  but  not  at  the  expense  of  what  he  believed  to  be 
true.  He  belonged  to  a  party  from  conviction,  but  was  never 
a  partisan.  He  was  a  statesman  of  large  experience  and  solid 
acquirements. 

How  proud  we  should  be  that  American  civilization  could 
produce  such  a  man,  and  that  universal  suffrage  could  place 
him  on  the  seat  occupied  by  Washington,  Jefferson  and  Lin- 
coln !  And  yet  how  sad  that  it  was  to  be  undone  by  the 
deadly  shot  of  an  assassin  !  Yet  it  was  not  wholly  undone. 
Such  a  life  is  a  precious  seed,  sure  to  bring  forth  abundant 
fruit.  He,  being  dead,  yet  speaketh,  and  will  continue  to  speak 
to  unborn  generations.  Not  a  schoolboy  who  reads  the  history 
of  his  life  but  will  be  a  better  man  for  it.  While  the  American 
people  put  the  seal  of  approval  on  such  a  man  we  need  have  no 
fears  of  the  doings  of  demagogues. 
16* 


370  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

We  owe  President  Arthur  our  prayers.  In  minor  matters  he 
may  err,  but  in  the  main  things  we  may  hope  for  his  success. 
Of  all  men,  he  must  feel  how  dearly  the  people  loved  their 
fallen  chief.  Let  him  follow  in  the  footprints  left  for  his  gui- 
dance, and  a  like  love  inay  also  be  his.  He  must  dismiss 
worthless  men  who  feed  at  the  public  expense,  and  appoint  men 
of  moral  worth  in  their  places.  Character  must  be  the  prime 
requisite  for  those  who  seek  to  serve  the  nation. 


CONSOLATIONS  OF  THE  HOUR. 

THE  REV.  DR.  W.  M.  TAYLOR  AT  THE  BROADWAY  TABERNACLE, 
NEW  YORK. 

At  the  Broadway  Tabernacle  yesterday  the  pulpit  was  heavily 
draped  in  deep  mourning  and  the  pulpit  furniture  was  covered 
with  black  cloth.  The  organ  behind  the  pulpit  was  hung  with 
the  same  material,  and  the  entire  railing  of  the  gallery  was  cov- 
ered with  graceful  festoons  of  black.  A  large  congregation  was 
present,  nearly  every  seat  in  the  body  of  the  church  and  the 
gallery  being  taken.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Taylor,  the  pastor,  preached 
on  the  death  of  the  President.  The  text  was  from  Numbers 
xx.  28  :  "  And  Moses  stripped  Aaron  of  his  garments,  and  put 
them  upon  Eleazar,  his  son ;  and  Aaron  died  there  in  the  top  of 
the  mount."  He  spoke,  in  part,  as  follows : 

That  is  an  old  history  that  is  here  described,  but  in  some  of  its 
features  it  has  been  repeated  in  our  own  country  in  the  life  of  our 
beloved  President.  Of  him  it  can  be  truly  said  that  he  ascended 
the  mountain — attaining  the  highest  office  in  the  gift  of  the  peo- 
ple. With  his  history  the  people  are  familiar,  from  the  time  he 
was  a  boy  in  his  humble  home  to  the  night  the  tolling  of  bells 
announced  that  he  was  dead.  We  saw  in  him  the  most  complete 
representative  of  the  best  elements  of  the  nation.  Alas!  alas! 
he  reached  the  summit  like  Aaron.  During  his  illness  the  peo- 
ple were  admitted  to  his  bedchamber  ;  each  of  us  had  our  hands 
upon  his  pulse.  In  many  a  song  for  years  to  come  will  reference 
be  made  to  his  heroic  suffering  and  courageous  sayings.  In  this 
publicity  we  find  much  consolation.  It  elevated  into  full  view  a 
noble  example.  From  the  first  he  was  a  man  who  was  led  by 
conscience ;  from  the  day  he  would  not  take  a  right  of  way  for 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  371 

his  boat  by  stratagem  on  the  canal  until  the  day  of  the  Conven 
tion  that  nominated  him.  He  was  a  Christian,  and  he  was  not 
ashamed  of  his  religion.  He  said  little,  but  it  was  more  a  mat- 
ter of  principle  than  emotion.  He  was  always  more  ambitious 
for  excellence  than  for  position.  The  Presidency  came  to  him 
unsought,  the  people  calling  him  to  office  because  of  what  they 
saw  he  could  do  for  them.  So  in  the  elevation  of  such  a  man 
we  find  consolation,  and  are  thankful  that  such  a  career  has  been 
brought  so  prominently  before  the  public  eye.  In  his  devotion 
to  his  wife  and  mother  and  children  we  find  an  example  ;  and 
in  the  wife,  too,  whose  place  is  second  only  to  that  of  her  hus- 
band— if  indeed  it  be  second — in  the  hearts  of  the  people. 

We  find  another  consolation  in  the  unification  of  the  people. 
For  the  first  time  in  many  years  there  is  no  sectionalism  in  our 
broad  land ;  all  are  bowed  and  weeping  over  the  bier  of  Garfield. 
It  looks  as  if  the  feud  of  years  was  being  healed  by  his  blood.  I 
think  too  the  feeling  will  sweep  away  the  abuses  that  make  pub- 
lic offices  the  rewards  of  party  selfishness.  Even  if  the  assassin 
be  insane,  office-seeking  shaped  his  conduct;  and  if  he  prove  to 
be  responsible,  may  nothing  prevent  his  suffering  the  extreme 
penalty  of  the  law  !  There  has  been  a  growing  tendency  to  put 
to  death  this  nefarious  system.  Woe  to  the  man  who  attempts 
to  prevent  its  death.  Over  the  bier  of  Garfield  let  the  people 
pledge  themselves  that  he  did  not  die  in  vain,  and  determine  to 
slay  the  system,  for  if  it  is  not  slain  it  may  bring  the  assassina- 
tion of  the  nation. 

The  other  nations  of  the  world  have  also  sat  with  us  around 
the  sick  bed.  Thus  have  we  been  brought  together  in  a  bond 
of  universal  brotherhood.  Sympathy  has  come  alike  from  pal- 
ace and  cottage,  and  the  Queen  of  England  has  performed  her 
queenliest  acts  in  sending  her  messages  of  consolation. 

We  must  also  sympathize  with  the  present  Chief  Magistrate, 
who  under  such  sorrowful  circumstances  has  been  placed  in  a 
trying  position.  He  has  before  him  the  noblest  opportunity  if 
he  only  improve  it.  He  has  made  mistakes,  but  they  may  serve 
as  beacon-lights  to  guide  him  aright.  Let  us  give  him  our  con- 
fidence, so  that  it  can  never  be  said  that  the  people  failed  him 
in  the  hour  of  his  extremity. 

Another  thought  is  that  God  is  with  us.  Never  have  such 
earnest  prayers  been  offered  as  in  the  past  few  weeks.  Are  they 
not  tokens  of  God's  being  with  us  ?  God  lives.  We  have  no 


372  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 

doubts  or  misgivings  about  him  who  is  to  be  laid  away.  Great 
is  the  contrast  between  the  gloom  of  our  loss  and  the  gladness  of 
his  gain. 


LAMENTED  AS  A  MAN,  NOT  A  POLITICIAN. 

THE    REV.    DR.    VINCENT    AT    THE    CHURCH    OF    THE    COVENANT. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Vincent  preached  yesterday  morning  in  the 
Church  of  the  Covenant,  at  Park  Avenue  and  Thirty-fifth  Street, 
from  Psalm  Ixv.  5  :  "By  terrible  things  in  righteousness  wilt 
thou  answer  us,  0  God  of  our  salvation ;  who  art  the  confidence 
of  all  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  of  them  that  are  afar  off  upon 
the  sea."  The  pulpit  was  heavily  wound  with  black,  and  there 
were  signs  of  mourning  upon  the  organ.  Dr.  Vincent  said : 

An  intelligent  pagan  reading  these  words  would  be  strangely 
bewildered.  How  can  terror  and  salvation  flow  from  the  same 
God  ?  It  is  a  question  that  not  paganism  nor  philosophy  nor 
science  can  answer,  and  its  solution  can  be  found  nowhere  but  in 
the  Word  of  God.  No  announcement  is  needed  of  the  event 
which  suggests  these  thoughts.  The  blow  has  fallen  upon  the 
nation.  Our  President  is  dead,  and  we  can  only  say  "  Thy  will 
be  done."  God  is  addressed  by  the  Psalmist  as  a  hearer  of 
prayer.  One  of  the  most  startling  features  of  the  calamity  that 
overshadows  the  land  to-day  is  its  relation  to  prayer.  President 
Garfield  went  into  office  with  a  more  universal  prayer  attending 
him  than  any  other  President  ever  did.  It  was  known  that  he 
had  difficulties  and  corruption  to  contend  against,  and  the  cry 
of  the  nation  arose  like  incense  to  the  Throne  of  Grace  invoking 
the  blessing  of  the  Lord  upon  him.  Few  who  prayed  so  earnestly 
looked  to  see  an  assassin's  bullet  for  an  answer  to  their  prayers. 

Some  of  us  heard  the  sad  news  of  the  crime  far  away  among 
the  hills.  Then  began  the  daily  anxiety  underlying  all  pleasure  and 
all  business,  like  the  monotonous  moan  of  the  ocean.  All  through 
these  long  weeks  what  a  tidal  wave  of  unceasing  prayer  has  been 
ascending  to  Heaven  for  the  life  of  the  President.  To-day  we 
have  the  answer — the  terrible  answer.  There  is  something 
awfully  impressive  in  this  tremendous  denial  of  a  nation's  prayer. 
What  shall  we  say  ?  What  can  any  one  say  ?  We  can  only  say  that 
the  God  who  does  all  things  well  has  refused  us  an  answer  be- 
cause the  answer  could  not  have  been  right.  It  is  better  that 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  373 

God's  will  should  have  been  done  than  that  a  nation's  prayer 
should  be  answered.  Go  back  to  the  agony  of  Gethsemane, 
whero  our  Saviour  prayed,  "  Let  this  cup  pass  from  me,  if  it  be 
possible ;  yet  not  my  will,  but  Thine,  be  done."  If  we  have 
thought  that  our  prayers  were  to  be  answered  by  the  bending  of 
God's  will  to  ours,  we  deserve  no  answer  ;  but  if  we  have  prayed 
always  with  the  thought  uppermost,  "  Thy  will  be  done,"  then 
our  prayers  are  truly  answered. 

The  nation  cried  for  the  freedom  of  the  slaves  from  their 
bondage.  The  prayer  was  answered,  but  by  terrible  things,  of 
which  the  dying  thunders  still  fill  the  air.  But  the  answer  has 
come,  and  the  slaves  are  free.  God's  righteousness,  with  all  its 
terrors,  leads  to  salvation,  and  a  great  chastisement  like  this 
means  a  tremendous  purpose  of  salvation  if  the  nation  will 
accept  the  lesson.  This  affliction  we  may  assign  to  the  series  of 
disciplinary  providences. 

Every  good  man  is  meant  to  be  a  warning  and  an  inspiration 
to  his  fellows.  Such  a  gift  of  God  was  our  late  President.  One 
lesson  sealed  by  his  death  is  the  lesson  of  character,  and  it  is  the 
more  impressive  in  this  instance  because  he  was  the  direct  out- 
growth of  our  national  life.  It  is  not  a  politician  but  a  man 
that  we  lament.  It  is  needful  sometimes  that  one  man  should 
die  for  the  people.  Let  us  pray  that  this  lesson  of  sorrow  may 
never  be  lost. 


FINDING  HOPE  IN  IMMORTALITY. 

THE    REV.    DR.    CRAWFORD    AT    ST.    LUKE'S    METHODIST    EPISCOPAL 
CHURCH. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Crawford  preached  yesterday  morning  at  St. 
Luke's  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  on  "  Lessons  from  the  Death 
of  President  Garfield."  His  text  was  Psalm  xxxix.  5  :  "  Verily 
every  man  at  his  best  state  is  altogether  vanity." 

We  have,  the  speaker  said,  all  been  accustomed,  I  suppose,  to 
think  of  our  late  President  as  an  uncommon  man.  I  do  not 
know  of  any  one  of  whom  this  description,  "  man  in  his  best 
state,"  is  more  true.  It  is  not  yet  time  to  give  President  Gar- 
field  his  place  in  history,  but  his  name  is  associated  with  those 
of  great  men.  Washington,  Jefferson,  Lincoln  and  Garfield  will 
go  down  to  history  together.  His  early  struggles  placed  him  in 


374  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

sympathy  with  the  people,  and  that  sympathy  he  never  lost. 
He  never  broke  the  connections  that  bound  him  to  the  friends 
of  his  poverty  and  early  life.  He  was  a  most  cultured  man.  It 
is  said  that  Secretary  Evarts  on  returning  from  Europe  brought 
gifts  for  all  his  friends,  selected  according  to  their  varied  tastes. 
For  President  Garfield  he  brought  a  beautiful  edition  of  the 
works  of  a  Greek  poet.  You  look  back  at  the  fifty  years  of  his 
life,  and  they  seem  like  years  spent  in  making  a  President. 
When  he  went  to  the  National  Convention  no  preparation  for 
his  nomination  had  been  made.  His  choice  seemed  like  the 
choice  of  David  among  his  brethren.  One  was  taken  before 
the  High  Priest  and  then  another,  but  none  was  chosen  until 
the  God-appointed  David  came  forth. 

President  Garfield  was  singularly  happy  in  his  family  relations. 
When  he  went  to  school  his  future  wife  was  a  schoolmate  with 
him ;  when  he  taught  school  she  was  his  pupil.  Finally  they 
were  married,  and  what  a  family  life  has  theirs  been.  I  think 
this  country  is  in  need  of  nothing  so  much  as  examples  of  true 
family  life.  I  am  appalled  when  I  see  men  whose  family  life  is 
such  as  no  man  can  bear  to  speak  of  receiving  the  honors  of  the 
country.  About  six  months  ago  James  A.  Garfield  and  his  wife 
started  from  their  country  home.  He  was  to  be  the  most  prom- 
inent man  in  the  country,  and  she  the  most  prominent  woman. 
Now  they  go  back  to  the  same  home.  She  is  a  sorrowing  widow 
with  a  memory  of  untold  pains  and  suffering,  and  he  a  wasting 
corpse,  whom  even  the  eyes  of  man  cannot  look  upon.  "  Verily 
man  in  his  best  state  is  altogether  vanity."  But  can  such  a  man 
die  ?  When  the  body  lies  in  the  grave,  is  that  all  ?  How  I  re- 
joice to  think  that  President  Garfield  still  lives.  The  thought 
of  a  glorious  immortality  will  help  us  in  our  grief.  We  must 
remember  that  God  still  reigns,  and  that  his  providence  over- 
looks the  affairs  of  men.  Was  God  with  James  A.  Garfield  in 
his  early  poverty  ?  You  say  yes.  Was  God  with  him  in  college 
and  on  the  battle-field,  when  the  bullets  flew  fast  about  him  ? 
You  say  yes.  But  was  he  not  also  with  him  even  on  that  fated 
second  of  July  ? 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  375 


OUR  BEST  PRESIDENTS  MURDERED. 

THE    COURAGE  OF  THE  VICTIM,  THE    COWARDICE  OF  THE  ASSASSIN 
SERMON   BY    THE    REV.    DR.    R.    S.    STORRS. 

The  Rev.  Richard  S.  Storrs,  D.D.,  pastor  of  the  Church  of 
the  Pilgrims,  Brooklyn,  preached  in  the  morning  upon  the  les- 
sons to  be  drawn  from  the  life  and  death  of  the  deceased 
President.  The  church  inside  and  out  was  draped  with 
mourning  emblems.  "We  are  often  impressed,"  said  Dr. 
Storrs,  "  by  the  fact  that  in  our  intense  experiences  we  cease  to 
take  distinct  account  of  the  progress  of  time.  We  do  not 
count  by  the  successions  of  day  and  night,  by  the  series  of 
weeks  following  each  other,  but  we  reckon  our  progress  by  the 
experiences  one  after  another  to  fill  our  souls.  Perhaps  we  are 
as  impressively  reminded  of  this  to-day  as  we  have  ever  been  in 
time  past.  Looking  back  to-day  twelve  weeks  ago,  when  the 
tidings  of  the  assault  upon  the  President  had  just  reached  us, 
it  seems  sometimes  as  if  it  were  but  yesterday — it  seems  again 
as  if  many  months  had  passed  since  that  event  was  so  sadly 
made  memorable.  But  we  know  the  successions  of  the  experi- 
ences through  the  interval  we  have  been  passing.  It  seems  as 
if  all  the  wisdom  of  our  fathers ;  all  the  wisdom  of  modern 
counsel ;  all  the  wisdom  and  counsel  of  the  nation  itself  in  its 
elective  action  were  at  the  mercy  of  one  insignificant  and  deadly 
spirit.  The  end  has  come,  and  now  the  nation  drapes  itself  in 
mourning,  not  merely  in  the  churches  where  great  assemblages 
congregate,  but  on  every  house  hangs  the  insignia  of  grief.  The 
national  flag  clings  to  its  staff,  heavy  with  crape  and  wet  with 
tears.  The  civilized  world  pauses  on  its  ways  of  pleasure  to 
join  in  the  sad  ceremonies.  To-day  I  ask  you  to  hear  the  voice 
of  God  in  the  lessons  which  he  brings  to  us  through  this  sad 
and  strangej  and  unexpected  dispensation  of  his  providence. 
Men  sometimes  say  that  the  cause  of  Providence  is  not  in  it  at 
all.  It  was  mere  human  mortals.  It  was  the  insanity  of  a 
mind  disordered.  But  God's  providence  controls  the  wills  of 
men.  That  which  has  been  intended  even  in  defiance  to  him 
is  made  to  bow  and  bend  and  submit  itself  before  the  incoming 
of  his  slain.  Garfield  was  perfectly  accustomed  to  the  respon- 
sibilities and  strain  of  public  life ;  he  had  gone  through  the 
deadly  storm  of  bullets  on  the  battle-field ;  he  had  been  more 


376  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

than  once  prostrated  with  sickness,  and  then  rallied.  It  seemed 
certainly  that  his  life  was  safe  for  the  four  years  to  come.  The 
nation  did  not  feel  it  necessary  to  wall  him  around  with  any 
peculiar  force.  But  God  has  taught  us  this  lesson  Lo  the  nation 
again  and  again.  It  is  a  fact  to  be  observed  that  every  Presi- 
dent who  has  died  in  his  office  has  been  one  upon  whom  the 
heart  of  the  nation  was  peculiarly  resting  with  confidence  in  his 
wisdom.  Harrison,  Taylor,  Lincoln — all  died  at  a  crisis.  We 
are  not  drawn  to  that  wretched  assassin  in  jail,  because  we  hear 
he  shrinks  in  fear ;  that  he  is  continually  in  apprehension  of 
violence ;  that  he  moans  and  groans  in  this  apprehension.  I  do 
not  know  that  our  hearts  rather  rejoice  that  so  much  punish- 
ment at  any  rate  has  come  upon  him.  Where  are  the  infidel 
harangues  to-day  ?  Where  is  the  doctrine  of  the  divine  right 
of  assassination  to-day,  which  has  been  so  eloquently  asked  in 
this  country  ?  I  see  holier  purity,  the  white  banners  of  a  bet- 
ter civilization  marching  on  to  the  end  of  the  history  of  the 
people. 


MEMORIAL  SERVICES  OF  THE  G.  A.  R. 

The  memorial  meeting  under  the  auspices  of  the  various 
Grand  Army  Posts  of  Kings  County,  New  York,  was  attended 
by  over  5000  people.  It  was  a  display  of  popular  feeling  in 
every  respect  worthy  of  the  cause,  and  was  characterized  by  a 
degree  of  earnestness  and  sincerity  which  could  not  well  be 
mistaken.  The  immense  edifice  was  crowded  soon  after  the 
doors  were  thrown"  open — crowded  to  an  insufferable  extent. 
Not  only  was  every  seat  occupied,  but  the  aisles  were  blocked, 
and  movement  in  any  direction  was  out  of  the  question.  More 
people  were  turned  away  than  the  building  could  possibly  have 
accommodated,  and  those  within  paid  dearly  for  the  privilege. 
It  was  intensely  hot,  and  circumstances  were  rendered  so  much 
the  more  unpleasant  by  the  surroundings  that  two  women 
fainted,  while  there  was  complaint  of  suffering  endured  on 
every  hand.  The  meeting,  however,  was  eminently  successful. 
There  were  present  no  less  than  a  thousand  veterans  of  the  war, 
who  occupied  front  seats,  and  who  marched  to  the  Temple  in 
the  order  specified  on  the  printed  programmes,  the  gathering 
point  being  on  the  corner  of  Willoughby  and  Classen  Avenue». 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  877 

The  veterans  marched  down  Willoughby  Avenue  to  the  Cler- 
mont  Avenue  Temple  to  the  notes  of  muffled  drums  and  quietly 
took  the  places  assigned  them.  The  Grand  Army  badge  which 
they  wore  was  draped  in  crape,  and  black  silk  rosettes  were  on 
their  arms.  General  E.  B.  Fowler  was  in  command,  the  posts 
participating  being  as  follows:  Harry  Lee  Post,  21  ;  Devins 
Post,  148;  Barbara  Freitchie  Post,  11;  Rankin  Post,  10; 
Thatford  Post,  3 ;  J.  H.  Perry  Post,  89 ;  Mallery  Post,  84  ; 
Mansfield  Post,  35;  Winchester  Post,  197;  Hamilton  Post, 
152;  Duport  Post,  187  ;  Ford  Post,  161 ;  Kerswill  Post,  149  ; 
Frank  Head  Post,  16  ;  T.  S.  Dakin  Post,  206  ;  German  Metter- 
nich  Post,  122;  W.  L.  Garrison  Post,  207;  the  Hancock 
Legion  and  the  Fourteenth  Regiment  Veterans. 

The  interior  of  the  building  gave  evidence  of  the  national 
grief.  Festoons  of  serge  swung  gracefully  from  column  to 
column,  entwined  the  arches,  and  overshadowed  the  big  organ 
in  the  rear.  On  the  platform  were  the  members  of  Dr.  Fulton's 
choir,  who  supplied  the  singing,  and  a  few  invited  guests. 
Major-General  Henry  W.  Slocum  presided,  and  by  his  side  sat 
Rev.  Mr.  Beecher,  whose  entrance  into  the  building,  despite  the 
fact  that  it  is  devoted  to  religious  purposes,  was  greeted  by 
tremendous  applause.  The  only  speakers  were  General  Slocum 
and  Mr.  Beecher,  the  services  being  concluded  by  10  o'clock. 
Barbara  Freitchie  Post,  No.  11,  carried  a  life  size  picture  of 
Garfield  as  he  appeared  in  uniform,  underneath  which  were  the 
words,  "  We  mourn  the  loss  of  our  comrade."  This  picture 
was  placed  by  the  side  of  the  speaker's  stand,  overlooking  the 
draped  empty  chair,  which  signified  the  death  of  an  army  com- 
rade. Shortly  after  8  o'clock  Dr.  George  8.  Little  called 
the  meeting  to  order,  and  after  stating  its  object,  nominated 
General  Slocum  for  chairman.  The  nomination  was  unani- 
mously confirmed,  and  on  stepping  to  the  front  of  the  platform 
General  Slocum  spoke  as  follows: 

SPEECH    OF    GENERAL    SLOCUM. 

LADIES  AND  GENTLEMEN  AND  MEMBERS  OF  THE  GRAND  ARMY 
OF  THE  REPUBLIC — As  has  been  stated  to  you,  you  have  assein 
bled  here  to  give  expression  to  your  feelings  and  views  of  the 
assassination  of  our  comrade,  who  was  President  of  the  United 
States.  It  seems  to  me  to  be  exceedingly  appropriate  for  yon, 
who  as  soldiers  served  with  him  daring  the  war,  and  who,  during 


378  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

the  last  ten  or  twelve  years,  have  been  comrades  with  him  in 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  to  meet  for  a  purpose  like 
this,  and  yet  I  know  full  well  that  not  one  among  you  meets  to 
mourn  his  loss  simply  as  a  soldier  or  simply  as  a  comrade.  You 
mourn  his  death  as  a  loss  to  our  country  of  one  of  the  greatest 
and  wisest  rulers  that  the  people  have  ever  chosen.  [Applause.] 
There  is  not  one  of  you,  I  will  presume  to  say,  who  has  not  re- 
cognized him  as  a  great-hearted  and  large-brained  and  generous 
man.  You  mourn  for  him  as  one  who  has  set  an  example  in 
all  the  relations  of  life,  such  as  but  few  of  our  public  men  in 
this  country  have  ever  done.  While  we  are  assembled  here,  in 
every  city,  in  every  village,  in  every  hamlet  in  this  land,  from 
North  to  South  and  from  East  to  West,  people  are  congregated 
for  a  similar  purpose,  and  yet  of  all  the  millions  who  are  to-day 
mourning  the  loss  of  Garfield,  how  few  there  are  who  have 
ever  enjoyed  any  personal  acquaintance  with  him ;  how  few 
there  are  in  this  land  who  have  ever  had  the  opportunity  of  tak- 
ing him  by  the  hand  and  receiving  that  cordial,  earnest  grasp 
which  ever  made  the  man  who  received  it  a  life-long  friend. 
Not  one  in  ten  thousand  people  ever  saw  the  countenance  of 
Garfield.  I  shall  never  forget  my  first  interview  with  him. 
After  the  repulse  at  Chickamauga  our  Government  was  forced 
to  send  troops  from  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to  the  West. 
We  found  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  with  its  supplies  cut 
off,  its  soldiers  on  half  rations,  its  animals  dying  by  hundreds. 
At  the  earliest  opportunity  I  saw  General  Garfield  who  was  then 
chief  of  staff.  He  had  entered  the  army  eighteen  months 
before  without  the  slightest  military  training — never  having  had 
any-  connection  with  a  military  organization,  yet  by  his  zeal  and 
by  his  good  sense  he  had  risen  to  be  chief  of  staff  of  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland.  Notwithstanding  all  the  depressing  circum- 
stances by  which  that  army  was  surrounded  Garfield  was  most 
cheerful,  and,  as  I  ever  met  him  afterward,  full  of  courage,  full 
of  pluck.  I  found,  on  mingling  with  the  officers  and  men,  that 
there  was  not  one  word  spoken  except  in  praise  of  him  as  a 
soldier.  [Applause.]  He  had  been  in  the  service  but  one  year 
and  a  half,  and  had  raised  himself  to  that  high  place  and  had 
obtained  his  promotion  as  major-general  by  the  common  con- 
sent and  approbation  of  every  one  of  his  associates.  You  mili- 
tary men  know  that  there  are  quite  as  many  jealousies  in 
military  life  as  in  civil  life,  and  when  a  man  gets  to  a  high  place 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  379 

with  the  common  consent  of  all  around  him,  you  can  always 
rest  assured  that  he  deserves  it,  and  Garfield  got  that 


AS    GENERAL    SLOCUM    KNEW    HIM    IN    CONGRESS 

I  next  met  General  Garfield  in  the  House  of  Representatives, 
having  been  sent  there  myself  from  this  district.  As  I  say,  I 
met  him  there  and  soon  learned  to  admire  him  just  as  much  as 
a  statesman  as  I  admired  him  as  a  soldier.  Garfield  was  an 
earnest,  honest,  thorough-going  Republican — I  was  a  Democrat. 
Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  was  an  honest,  thorough-going 
partisan,  there  was  never  in  all  his  career  the  slightest  vindictive- 
ness,  and  this  I  say  with  great  pleasure.  He  was  as  kind  towards 
the  people  of  the  South  as  to  his  neighbor — kind  and  conciliatory. 
Look  at  his  Congressional  career  and  you  will  find  no  hatred  of 
the  Southern  people.  While  I  was  in  Congress  with  him  both 
the  great  political  parties  gave  evidence  of  being  infected  with 
a  heresy  in  regard  to  financial  matters  which  in  my  judgment 
would  have  brought  dishonor  and  disgrace  on  our  country. 
Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  both  parties  seemed  to  be  sated 
with  this  heresy,  Garfield  never  lowered  his  colors;  not  one 
word  that  he  uttered  could  be  construed  as  antagonistic  to  the 
best  interests  of  the  government.  And  I  honor  him  for  this  as 
much  as  for  any  other  act  in  his  life.  We  are  all  disposed  to 
look  upon  this  event  as  a  great  calamity.  It  is  in  some 
respects  a  great  calamity,  and  yet  all  these  great  calamities 
have  their  compensations,  and  I  suppose  this  will  have.  This 
sad  event  will  call  to  the  minds  of  the  rising  gener- 
ation more  forcibly  than  ever  the  career  of  General  Garfield. 
His  career,  his  whole  life  will  be  known  in  every  household; 
it  will  serve  as  a  beacon  light  to  all,  pointing  out  the  way  to 
honor  and  to  fame.  I  trust,  too,  it  will  have  another  effect. 
We  have  been  troubled  in  this  country  within  the  last  twenty 
years  by  a  class  of  men  known  as  communists — men  who  want 
some  change  or  law  which  will  give  a  poor  man  a  chance.  Read 
the  life  of  James  A.  Garfield.  Read  the  life  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 
Read  the  lives  of  these  two  men,  I  say,  and  then  tell  me  does  any 
poor  man  want  a  more  beneficent  government  than  that  furnished 
right  here  in  the  United  States  ?  It  has  had  another  effect.  It 
has  buried  all  sectional  animosities.  I  believe  that  every  fair- 
minded  man  will  agree  with  me  when  I  say  that  the  death  of 


380  TEE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

Garfield  has  been  as  sincerely  lamented  in  the  South  as  in  the 
North.  This  event  covers  the  grave  of  all  sectional  animosity  in 
this  country.  It  should  have,  and  I  think  it  will  have,  a  still 
broader  effect,  All  nations  on  earth  have  evinced  their  sym- 
pathy with  the  American  people,  and  with  the  family  of  our  late 
President,  and  particularly  has  this  been  the  case  with  regard  to 
England  and  her  noble  queen,  who  sent  messages  which  touched 
the  hearts  of  all  sincere  Americans.  It  may  have  the  effect  of 
bringing  great  nations  to  recognize  the  propriety  of  settling 
their  differences  by  arbitration  instead  of  at  the  cannon's  mouth. 
It  certainly  ought  to  be  the  effect  so  far  as  England  and  Amer- 
ica are  concerned,  where  so  much  kindly  feeling  has  been 
exhibited.  There  is  no  class  of  men  in  the  world  that  can  bet- 
ter appreciate  having  differences  between  countries  settled  by 
arbitration  than  the  class  now  before  me.  You  are  soldiers,  and 
I  ask  you  all  to  lift  up  your  voices  in  favor  of  settling  all  differ- 
ences between  foreign  nations  as  men  ought  to  settle  them  in  a 
quiet  and  peaceable  way.  I  am  afraid  I  have  taken  up  too 
much  of  your  time,  but  I  could  not  avoid  saying  what  I  have 
said. 

An  anthem  was  chanted  by  the  choir,  prayer  was  offered  by 
Rev.  Dr.  Thompson  of  Williamsbnrg,  and  a  chant,  "  Rest,  Gar- 
field,  Rest !"  was  sung  by  a  quartet  club.  Then  followed  the 
memorial  service  as  prescribed  by  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public, Commander  Squires  conducting  it.  "  I  know  that  my 
Redeemer  liveth"  was  sung,  and  then  General  Slocum  intro- 
duced Rev.  Mr.  Beecher  as  the  speaker  of  the  evening. 


HENRY    WARD    BEECHER  8    SPEECH. 

MR.  CHAIRMAN,  LADIES  AND  GENTLEMEN — After  services  so 
impressive  and  at  so  late  an  hour,  and  under  circumstances  in 
which  you  suffer  so  much  inconvenience  by  heat  and  crowding, 
I  shall  not  prolong  my  remarks  to  any  considerable  length.  We 
are  living  at  a  period  which  will  be  considered  in  days  to  come 
an  epoch.  Few  are  aware  of  how  great  is  the  phenomena  of 
which  you  are  spectators  and  in  which  you  are  actors.  For 
the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  human  family  there  has 
been  an  uprising  of  the  whole  world,  civilized  and  uncivilized, 
on  account  of  the  death  of  one  man.  It  never  happened  be- 
fore. It  is  itself  not  only  new — it  is  the  sign  of  a  new  dispen- 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  381 

sation,  the  herald  of  a  brighter  day.  The  world  at  last  knows 
that  all  mankind  are  of  one  blood,  one  lineage,  one  hope,  and 
we  have  the  realization  at  last  of  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
in  which  we  are  all  brethren,  throughout  the  civilized  and  the 
uncivilized  world.  During  that  terrible  battle  of  the  couch 
through  which  Garfield  passed  (and  he  has  been  as  brave 
against  death  as  on  the  battle-field  he  was  in  the  midst  of 
death),  during  all  those  long  and  weary  days  the  eyes  of  the 
whole  world  have  been  upon  him,  and  the  voice  of  prayer  has 
gone  up.  If  I  could  stand  at  the  gate  of  heaven  and  describe 
the  number  and  fervency  of  the  prayers,  assuredly  your  hearts 
would  spring  up  with  wonder  and  gratitude.  Not  alone  they 
that  believe  as  we  believe,  but  those  that  believe  at  all  in 
Providence  and  Divinity.  The  Pope  in  Rome,  the  Archbishop 
in  England,  the  simple  Quaker,  the  most  enthusiastic  Methodist, 
as  well  as  the  more  stately  worshippers  of  ritual — everywhere, 
crowned  and  uncrowned  have  been  represented  by  their  cries 
and  tears  at  the  throne  of  divine  mercy  for  weeks  and  for 
months.  Did  ever  such  a  spectacle  occur  before  ?  What  has 
started  them  so  ?  Was  this  a  man  of  such  genius  that  his 
light  shone  as  the  rising  of  the  sun  ?  Garfield  was  a  man  of 
great  intellectual  force,  but  not  a  man  of  illuminating  genius. 
Was  it  because  he  was  an  Alexander  or  a  Napoleon,  an  over- 
mastering general  ?  He  was  an  able  general,  but  not  in  any 
such  sense  as  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  civilized  world. 
What  has  been  the  reason  for  this  universal  sympathy  ?  Partly 
because  he  represents  the  peculiar  economy  of  this  nation,  and 
partly  because  he  represents  the  highest  elements  in  man's  uni- 
versal consideration  of  human  nature.  Do  you  know  that 
ninety  nine  men  out  of  every  hundred  in  this  world  have  no 
business  here — if  you  consider  the  estimate  of  their  superiors. 
The  mass  of  mankind  are  worthless  in  the  estimate  of  genius 
and  of  philosophy.  What  are  men  good  for?  To  make  armies, 
to  be  used  as  bricks  with  which  to  build  houses.  The  world 
over  mankind  have  been  accustomed  to  be  trodden  under  foot. 
They  have  been  taught  by  their  rulers  that  resignation  and  sub- 
mission and  contentment  and  humble  sphere  was  most  becoming 
— been  taught  to  sink  their  individuality  and  take  a  back  seat; 
whereas,  the  true  spirit  of  the  gospel  goes  to  show  that  each 
man  is  himself  an  empire,  and  that  every  empire  is  strong  in 
proportion  as  the  individual  citizen  is  strong  and  free  to  act. 


382  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


INDIVIDUAL  MANHOOD. 

America  represents  more  clearly  the  true  gospel  aspect  of  in- 
dividual life  than  any  other  country.  Men  are  beginning  to  find 
out  even  in  the  most  remote  corners  of  the  world  that  there  is 
one  land  where  every  individual  is  counted  as  one,  as  a  unit,  the 
real  value  of  which  no  language  can  compass  or  describe.  The 
hand  of  the  Lord  that  made  me  and  you,  that  gave  you  and  me 
something  of  himself,  has  imparted  to  us  something  of  his  own 
ascendency,  and  we  shall  live  when  the  sun  has  forgot  to  burn, 
and  when  the  whole  universe  has  gone  to  ruin.  The  poorest 
man,  black  or  white,  red  or  yellow,  has  that  in  him  which  is 
immeasurably  greater  than  the  most  sublime  grandeur  or  the 
noblest  genius  that  ever  blossomed  under  the  sun.  This  is 
the  doctrine  of  America,  and  it  was  in  its  belief  that  our 
fathers  came  here.  Although  it  was  not  phrased  in  this  way, 
the  real  battle  of  the  Reformation  was  for  the  right  of  a  man 
to  be  a  man.  Our  fathers  came  here  partly  for  commerce, 
but  more  largely  to  develop  institutions  that  would  recognize 
individual  manhood,  and  all  our  laws  and  customs  springing 
from  New  England  and  sweeping  westward  over  prairie  and 
across  mountain  have  this  supreme  tendency.  Our  fathers 
brought  with  them  the  idea  of  the  dignity,  and  the  union, 
and  the  grandeur  of  the  State  being  in  proportion  to  the 
power  and  the  liberty  and  the  strength  of  the  individual.  If 
there  has  ever  been  a  man  in  our  nation  that  represented  pre- 
cisely these  views,  it  was  James  A.  Garfield.  He  was  not  born 
in  luxury,  and  no  silken-clad  nurse  took  him  from  his  sighing 
mother  to  cry  in  purple.  He  was  born  at  the  bottom — just 
enough  to  eat  and  drink,  and  nothing  more.  Not  enough 
money  for  an  education  in  the  pocket  of  his  father.  The 
poorest  boy  that  attends  our  common  schools  in  this  city  is 
just  a  thousandfold  greater  and  better  off  than  Garfield  when 
he  was  Jim  Garfield,  the  little  boy  trotting  barefoot  around  the 
Ohio  village.  But  he  was  his  own  school-house.  He  was 
ashamed  of  ignorance,  and  when  other  men  slept  and  snored 
he  found  a  gold  mine,  from  the  veins  of  which  he  brought 
precious  treasure.  As  he  grew  up  he  knew  almost  every 
phase  of  the  lowest  experiences;  he  knew  full  well  what  it 
was  to  see  power  and  greatness  above  him.  He  didn't  run  to 
the  corner  grocery  store  and  cry  out "  Communism ;"  he  didn't 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  383 

lie  lazy  all  his  days  and  then  cry  out  that  the  State  was  bound 
to  help  him  ;  he  didn't  squander  in  pleasures  all  the  money  that 
he  earned,  and  then  cry  out  for  a  reorganization  of  society.  He 
was  a  man  who  learned  and  practised  all  the  virtues  in  qui- 
etude and  simplicity  with  self-confidence  until  he  became  a 
teacher  himself.  Then  called  from  that  task  he  became  a 
preacher  of  righteousness. 

AS    TEACHER    AND    PREACHER. 

Both  as  teacher  and  preacher  his  heart  was  towards  his  kind. 
His  business  was  to  enrich  others  and  not  himself.  When  the 
war  broke  out  he  gave  himself  to  his  country.  He  went  into 
the  field,  and  withheld  himself  from  no  hardships.  He  knew 
what  the  war  meant  and  what  he  meant — emancipation  and 
liberty.  Because  of  what  he  and  men  like  him  have  done,  you 
gentlemen  of  a  dusky  color  who  are  sitting  here  to-night  are 
recognized  as  the  equals  of  those  around  you.  People  did  not 
think  much  of  America  twenty-five  years  ago.  They  have 
changed  their  minds  since.  I  had  occasion  to  say  one  time,  re- 
garding a  case  in  Kansas,  that  a  rifle  was  better  than  the  Bible, 
and  I  tell  you  still  that  in  the  eyes  of  the  whole  world  moral 
suasion  is  often  better  issued  from  the  battle-field  than  any- 
where else.  When  we  marshalled  armies  such  as  dwarfed  those 
of  Europe,  and  conquered  the  desperate  and  skilful  men  that 
were  opposed  to  us ;  when  our  citizens,  on  disbanding,  returned 
to  the  civic  occupations  of  life  without  a  murmur,  I  aver  that 
no  officer  and  no  man  that  carried  a  musket  has  from  that  day 
to  this  conspired  against  the  liberty,  the  law,  or  the  institutions 
of  the  land.  When  these  people  were  tempted  by  the  devil  of 
repudiation,  they  said,  "  Get  thee  behind  me,"  and  even  poli- 
ticians took  the  hint.  When  afterwards  a  meaner  devil  at- 
tempted to  juggle  with  the  currency  of  the  country  the  common 
people  saw  through  it  and  made  the  currency  honest,  so  that  a 
man  might  pay  a  bill  and  not  blush.  Now,  this  spectacle  has 
gone  abroad  and  men  have  come  into  a  new  realization  of  what 
national  life  is.  If  there  can  be  fifty  millions  of  men  free  in 
every  respect,  and  each  man  a  part  of  God's  universe;  if  these 
men  can  wage  war,  pay  their  bills  without  grumbling,  suffer 
taxation,  maintain  peace,  go  back  to  their  occupations  after,  not 
in  the  least  shattered  in  spirit,  and  live  happily — if  this  great 
nation  can  thus  exemplify  what  liberty  means,  then  every  poor 


SS4  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

man  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe  will  look  to  us  and  say, 
'•  That  is  the  home  of  the  poor  man,  the  home  of  true  man- 
hood, and  the  home  for  me."  They  come  from  Ireland  and 
England  and  Scotland,  they  pass  over  from  Greece  and  Turkey 
and  Russia  and  China,  from  all  quarters  of  the  globe — all  seek- 
ing themselves  in  seeking  us.  The  tidings  of  what  this  land 
really  is  have  gone  abroad  to  all  the  poor  throughout  the  world. 
Now,  Mr.  Garfield,  as  the  advocate  of  such  men  and  such  prin- 
ciples, stood  before  the  world  as  the  advocate  of  the  rights  of 
the  common  people,  and  when  he  was  struck  down  every  poor 
man  on  the  face  of  the  globe  felt  that  "our  hero  has  been 
slain."  This  it  is  that  has  given  such  universality  of  interest  to 
this  proceeding.  How  came  it  that  the  aristocrats  abroad  and 
the  Queen  of  England  poured  out  the  treasure  of  her  all-enrich- 
ing heart  ?  Because  Mr.  Garfield  was  not  merely  a  representa- 
tive man  and  a  noble  man  according  to  the  highest  and  most 
elevated  acceptation  of  the  term,  but  he  was  a  good  man,  and 
all  of  his  impulses  were  towards  kindness  and  love. 

THE    COMMON   HUMANITY    OF    MAN. 

He  shone  because  he  could  not  help  himself.  He  represented 
the  common  humanity  of  man  carried  to  its  highest  excellence, 
because  the  spiritual  man  fully  developed  itself  in  him.  Gar- 
field  subdued  the  inferior  powers  of  his  nature.  The  things 
best  known  of  him  were  those  things  which  coupled  him  in  the 
highest  and  best  way  with  the  welfare  of  his  fellow-man.  It  is 
the  admiration  of  the  world  that  Christianity  has  gone  so  far 
that  all  men  begin  to  feel  that  there  is  nothing  on  the  face  of 
the  earth  so  noble,  beautiful,  and  attractive  as  a  full  grown, 
right-minded,  loving  soul  of  a  strong  man.  No  picture,  no 
sculpture,  nothing  anywhere,  after  all,  is  so  attractive  to  men  as 
a  man  of  God,  and  therefore  a  man  of  the  common  people.  It 
is  all  these  things  that  have  given  to  Garfield  the  universal  in- 
terest of  the  whole  human  family.  Let  me  say  a  word  beyond 
this :  Has  the  world  lost  him  ?  When  the  farmer  goes  into  the 
field  and  scatters  the  seed,  does  he  lose  it  ?  Will  not  every 
single  kernel  die  that  it  may  bring  forth  one  hundred-fold  ? 
Garfield  never  could  have  been  so  influential  in  Washington  as 
he  is  now.  Having  laid  down  his  life  for  a  principle, 
that  principle  has  had  atonements.  The  laying  down  of 
his  life  is  the  resurrection  of  his  faith  and  power  throughout  the 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  885 

whole  world.  His  influence  will  come  down  again  as  the  dew 
or  the  rain  upon  the  grass.  Is  there  nothing  more  than  eulogv 
that  we  can  do  for  him  ?  Yes.  Carry  out  the  work  that  he 
began.  The  might  of  this  nation  is  increasing,  the  wealth  is* 
becoming  gigantic,  the  government  holds  a  power  which  is 
waxing  with  every  generation,  the  struggle  for  ascendency  is  be- 
coming greater,  and  our  danger  in  the  future  lies  in  putting  too 
much  power  into  the  hands  of  ambitious  men.  Garfield  went 
to  "Washington  with  pledges  and  with  a  disposition  to  see  that 
a  civil  service  system  should  be  established  by  which  the  cor- 
ruptions which  had  sullied  politics  should  be  purged  out.  You 
must  complete  that  work.  I  believe  that  Mr.  Arthur  will  under- 
take to  do  it.  If  he  should  undertake  to  purge  our  govern- 
ment of  its  corruption  in  these  respects,  he  will  at  the  end  of 
his  term  be  scarcely  second  to  the  man  he  succeeds.  If  Mr. 
Arthur  should  go  away  from  this  purpose  he  will  be  as  a  broken 
bucket  at  the  cistern  and  will  draw  no  water. 

Mr.  Beecher  went  on  to  refer  to  Guiteau,  saying  that  he  was 
not  among  those  who  could  refuse  to  pray  for  him.  He  referred 
to  the  mother,  the  wife,  and  family  of  the  deceased  President, 
and  concluded  by  saying  that  he  hoped  God  would  bless  the 
household  in  order  that  there  might  be  another  generation  of 
Garfields. 

The  benediction  was  then  bestowed  and  the  gathering  dis- 


MEMORIAL  SERVICES  AT  THE  BROOKLYN  TABER- 
NACLE. / 

The  memorial  service  at  the  Tabernacle  was  a  great  demon- 
stration. At  half-past  6  o'clock  upward  of  2000  people  were  in 
front  of  the  building,  patiently  awaiting  the  opening  of  the 
doors.  The  crowd  rapidly  increased,  so  rapidly  that  the  build- 
ing was  opened  earlier  than  had  been  contemplated,  and  at  7 
o'clock  it  was  literally  packed  to  the  outer  doors.  Pews  and 
aisles  were  jammed,  and  even  the  preacher's  platform  was  in- 
vaded. It  was  estimated  that  there  were  between  six  and  seven 
thousand  people  crowded  into  the  vast  auditorium.  The  heat 
was  intense.  The  church  was  appropriately  decorated.  A 
picture  of  the  late  President,  flanked  by  flags  draped  in  mourn- 
17 


386  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

ing,  was  placed  on  the  front  of  the  organ,  directly  over  the  pas- 
tor's chair.  Mr.  George  W.  Morgan,  the  organist,  and  Mr. 
Peter  AH,  the  celebrated  cornetist,  furnished  the  instrumental 
music,  which  was  of  the  finest  description.  They  played  at 
intervals  during  the  evening.  Their  rendering  of  "  Inflamma- 
tus"  and  "Cujus  Animam,"  from  Rossini's  "Stabat  Mater,"  was 
especially  brilliant.  Mr.  Morgan  never  played  better,  and  Mr. 
AH  surpassed  all  his  previous  efforts. 

Upon  the  platform  were  Rev.  Dr.  Talmage,  who  conducted 
the  services,  Supreme  Court  Judge  Edgar  M.  Cullen,  Corpora- 
tion Counsel  William  C.  DeWitt,  U.  S.  District  Attorney  Ten- 
ney,  Congressmen  William  E.  Robinson  and  J.  Hyatt  Smith, 
Bernard  Peters,  Senator  William  H.  Murtha,  Henry  Harteau, 
and  others.  At  8  o'clock  the  meeting  was  opened  by  Dr.  Tal- 
mage, who  explained  that  Mayor  Howell,  who  was  to  have  pre- 
sided, had  gone  to  attend  the  funeral  at  Cleveland.  He  said 
that  those  who  would  address  the  meeting  that  evening  would 
have  the  widest  liberty  to  say  whatever  their  sympathies  or 
patriotism  might  suggest.  Dr.  Roche  led  in  prayer,  and 
the  great  congregation  then  united  in  singing  the  grand  old 
hymn, <;  Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee,"  with  overwhelming  effect. 
At  the  close,  Dr.  Talmage  introduced  as  the  first  speaker,  Judge 
Joseph  Neilson,  of  the  City  Court,  who  was  received  with 
applause. 

SPEECH  OF  JUDGE  NEILSON. 

MK.  CHAIRMAN,  LADIES  AND  GENTLEMEN — I  have  no  hope 
whatever  of  being  able  to  say  anything  appropriate  to  this  sol- 
emn occasion.  Others  may  find  words  of  consolation,  teach  us 
to  be  resigned  to  the  dispensation  which  has  fallen  upon  us. 
And  yet,  we  have  some  lessons  taught  us  of  present  and  perhaps 
of  future  value.  Since  the  news  of  the  assassination  reached 
us  we  have  had  a  changeful  life.  The  first  whisper  of  that  event 
came  over  us  like  a  cold  storm.  That  storm  continued  for 
weeks — now  and  then  the  clouds  breaking,  a  rift  letting  in  a 
gleam  of  sunshine,  and  then  the  pall  settling  black  and  dark  as 
ever.  But  from  out  that  tempest  we  have  come,  and,  by  our 
representatives  to-day,  we  have  laid  the  President  in  his  last 
earthly  home,  and  death  has  put  upon  his  brow  the  coronation 
seal.  How  much  he  loved  life  we  all  know.  There  was  the 
grand  office  in  which  we  had  placed  him,  placed  him  honestly 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  387 

and  honorably — the  Presidency  of  the  United  States.  He  had 
a  charge  to  keep,  doubtless  meant  to  keep  it.  There  were 
friends  very  near  and  very  dear  to  him ;  there  was  his  family, 
some  of  them  yet  so  young  that  they  needed  his  hand  to  train 
and  lead  them.  So  he  clung  to  life  strongly  during  all  those 
weeks.  Well,  now,  we  have  this  consolation,  we  did  for  him 
what  we  could.  So  with  us,  I  believe,  from  all  the  information 
I  have,  that  they  called  in  the  best  (I  make  no  invidious  com- 
parisons), I  mean  among  the  best  of  the  medical  and  surgical 
profession  to  attend  him.  There  is  just  one  other  thought,  with 
your  permission.  They  speak  of  monuments  here,  and,  to  our 
grateful  surprise,  they  speak  of  monuments  beyond  the  seas. 
That  is  well ;  commends  our  people  to  others,  and  others  to  us. 
Still,  I  have  thought,  and  think  still  that  if,  after  the  President 
was  smitten  and  before  he  died,  he  could  have  had  a  full,  realiz- 
ing sense  of  the  sympathetic  heart  ofsthe  American  people  in 
respect  to  him,  could  have  seen  that  all  parties  and  all  classes  of 
people  everywhere  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
land,  from  sea  to  sea,  united  in  their  wish  that  he  might  recover, 
united  in  detestation  of  the  crime — and  if,  moreover,  beyond  all 
that,  he  could  have  had  a  prophetic  view  of  what  should  occur 
after  his  death — if  he  could  have  seen  that  the  great  cities  of 
the  land  would  be  represented  at  his  funeral,  that  everywhere 
demonstrations  of  attachment,  respect,  affection  and  regret 
would  be  met  with,  I  think  he  would  have  said,  "Give  me 
this  !  all  this,  rather  than  piles  of  granite  mountain  high !" 

Mr.  Morgan  played  the  "  Dead  March  in  Saul,"  the  congrega- 
tion, at  the  request  of  Dr.  Talmage,  rising  and  remaining  stand- 
ing during  the  performance,  as  the  people  did  in  St.  Paul's, 
London.  Dr.  Talmage  introduced  Mr.  Tenney  as  a  personal 
friend  of  the  late  President  and  as  a  man  whose  eloquence  had 
mightily  moved  the  people  of  this  and  other  States.  Mr.  Ten- 
ney was  warmly  received. 

SPEECH    OF    A.    W.    TENNEY. 

MY  FELLOW  CITIZENS — We  have  assembled  here  to-night  as 
citizens  of  a  great  city,  and  of  a  great  republic,  to  place  a  trib- 
ute of  affection  and  regard  upon  the  newly-made  grave  of  our 
loved  and  martyred  President.  The  circumstances  that  have  called 
us  together  are  inexpressibly  sad  as  they  are  peculiarly  thrilling. 
Assassination  has  again  entered  the  executive  chamber  of  this 


388  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

nation  and  done  its  worst.  A  life,  measured  by  what  it  has  ac- 
complished, without  a  parallel,  a  career  without  a  rival,  a  record 
without  a  stain,  a  courage  in  the  face  of  death  that  has  challenged 
and  won  the  admiration  of  the  world,  a  patience  in  long  suffer- 
ing almost  akin  to  divinity  itself,  has  at  last  received  the  crown 
of  martyrdom.  To-day,  under  an  early  autumnal  sky,  within 
the  limits  of  the  fairest  city  of  all  the  West,  by  the  shore  of  the 
blue  waters  of  Lake  Erie,  in  sight  of  the  very  spot  where  stood 
the  log  cabin  in  which  he  was  born,  within  an  hour's  ride  of  the 
house  and  the  farm  he  loved  so  well,  this  mighty  people  with 
bowed  heads  and  bleeding  hearts  have  laid  to  rest  one  of  the 
grandest  men  of  our  race.  Child  of  no  fortune,  heir  to  no 
throne,  and  yet  at  the  age  of  49  years  and  10  months  he  dies 
the  most  loved  and  honored  man  within  the  circuit  of  the  sun. 
Born  in  poverty,  matured  in  want,  educated  to  the  hardest  kind 
of  hard  work,  and  yet,  with  his  own  right  hand  he  breaks  the 
invidious  bars  of  birth 

And  ascends  Fame's  ladder  so  high 

That  from  the  round  at  the  top  he  stepped  to  the  skies. 
But  America  mourns  not  alone  the  death  of  her  illustrious  son. 
Nations  are  in  tears;  the  world  is  in  mourning  because  Garfield 
is  dead.  Not  because  he  was  President  of  this  Republic,  but 
Because  he  was,  in  the  fullest  meaning  of  that  word,  a  man. 
England,  by  order  of  the  Queen,  puts  on  court  mourning  be- 
cause of  the  death  of  the  President  of  the  United  States — 
an  imperial  honor  which  she  has  never  before  conferred 
upon  any  dead,  either  at  home  or  abroad,  except  those  of  royal 
blood.  More  than  this,  even  Victoria,  Queen  of  the  British 
Isles  and  queen  of  women,  steps  from  the  royal  throne  she  so 
greatly  adorns  to  that  higher  and  loftier  station  held  and  occu- 
pied by  every  loving  Christian  woman,  and  across  three  thousand 
miles  of  sea  she  cables  again  and  again  her  love  and  sympathy 
not  only  to  this  nation,  but  to  that  other  queenly  woman — to 
that  stricken  wife  and  mother,  who  by  her  devotion,  her  forti- 
tude and  her  love  takes  her  place  by  the  side  of  her  martyred 
husband  in  the  affectionate  regard  of  the  entire  human  family. 
God  bless  Queen  Victoria  for  the  love  and  sympathy  she  has 
shown  this  nation  and  the  nation's  widow  during  those  days  of 
anguish  and  of  tears!  Turning  from  the  mournful  present  we 
face  the  coming  dawn  of  the  near  future.  Garfield  is  dead,  but 
the  government  by  the  people  and  for  the  people  still  lives. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  389 

Men  may  say,  and  some  do  so,  that  because  two  Presidents  have 
been  assassinated  within  sixteen  years,  America  is  fast  becoming 
like  Russia,  Mexico  and  Central  America.  No,  no,  my  country- 
men; the  perpetuity  of  the  American  Republic  depends  not 
upon  the  lives  of  Presidents  or  Senates.  It  lives  in  the  hearts 
and  patriotism  of  the  people,  and  it  will  die  and  cease  to  be 
only  when  they  shall  prove  themselves  recreant  to  their  trust 
and  forgetful  of  their  duty.  We  want  no  more  assassination 
of  Presidents,  and  as  one  thing  to  prevent  this  we  want  no  co- 
quetting with  the  technicalities  of  the  law  in  behalf  of  the  assas- 
sin we  now  have  on  hand.  But  we  want  for  him  the  judgment 
of  the  law,  like  the  wrath  of  Almighty  God,  to  be  swift,  certain 
and  sure.  Though  clouds  and  darkness  are  around  and  about 
us,  there  is  no  occasion  for  despondency.  The  helm  of  state 
is  in  safe  hands,  and  I  counsel  you,  my  countrymen,  to  be  of 
good  cheer.  I  know  President  Arthur,  and  I  know  him  to  be 
an  honest,  patriotic  man,  a  man  who  thoroughly  believes  in  the 
great  principles  that  underly  our  American  Government.  A 
man  of  great  experience,  of  broad  and  liberal  views,  of  tran- 
scendent executive  ability,  of  great  caution  and  mature  judg- 
ment, and  who,  having  the  courage  of  his  own  convictions,  will 
dare  to  do  right.  He  is  right  at  heart,  and  I  firmly  believe  and 
so  prophesy,  that  he  will  prove  himself  a  worthy  successor  of 
President  Garfield. 

Hon.  William  E.  Robinson  was  the  next  speaker.  After  the 
applause  with  which  he  was  greeted  had  subsided,  he  said : 

SPEECH    OF    HON.    WILLIAM    E.    ROBINSON. 

% 

The  first  time  I  saw  James  A.  Garfield  was  in  Wall  Street,  at 
the  vast  meeting  of  our  citizens  which  stood  aghast  in  front  of 
the  Custom  House,  in  April,  1865,  the  day  after  the  assassination 
of  Abraham  Lincoln.  Simeon  Draper,  Ed  wards  Pierrepont,  Moses 
H.  Grinnell,  General  Butler  and  others  had  made  speeches.  I 
sat  on  the  platform,  near  the  presiding  officer,  Mr.  Draper,  and 
remember  the  protest  which  General  Garfield  entered  against 
the  country  becoming  a  nation  of  assassins.  How  little  he  then 
thought  that  the  very  next  one  to  fall  as  Lincoln  fell  should  be 
himself !  I  don't  remember  that  he  used  the  language  blazing 
to-night  in  letters  of  fire  on  the  columns  of  our  City  Hall, 
"  God  reigns,  and  the  government  at  Washington  still  lives !" 
The  next  time  I  saw  him  was  when  I  met  him  in  Congress.  We 


390  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

were  both  at  Willard's  and  I  saw  him  every  day.  One  day  he 
asked  me  to  give  him  the  history  of  my  life,  as  he  had  under- 
stood that  I  had  fought  my  own  way  from  boyhood.  He  had 
a  desire  to  become  acquainted  with  James  T.  Brady,  and  I  en- 
joyed their  hearty  greeting  of  each  other  in  Mr.  Brady's  room. 
Mr.  Garfield  had  strong  religious  feelings.  He  had  early  joined 
the  body  known  as  Christians  or  Disciples  of  Christ  or  Re- 
formed Baptists,  or  perhaps  more  generally  Campbellites.  The 
Disciples  were  scattered  over  Western  Pennsylvania,  Virginia, 
Kentucky,  Ohio  and  Indiana,  and  in  some  of  the  large  cities, 
and  now  number  themselves  by  the  hundred  thousand.  It 
might  be  mentioned  that  the  founder  of  this  sect,  of  which  Mr. 
Garfield  was  the  most  illustrious  disciple,  was  a  native  of  the 
same  village  in  which  President  Arthur's  father  was  born.  I 
have  heard  a  great  many  things  from  this  platform  and  pulpit 
which  I  like,  and  nothing  has  pleased  me  more  than  the  honest 
growl  from  its  distinguished  pastor,  on  Friday  evening  last, 
against  the  patronizing  palaver  of  tyrants.  I  would  not  repel 
the  sympathy  of  a  Magdalen  or  a  monarch,  for  it  is  a  sign  of  vast 
progress  when  the  proudest  among  the  despots  of  the  earth 
write  letters  of  sympathy  to  the  noble  wife  of  one  who  earned 
his  living  on  a  tow-path.  But 

"Timeo  Danaos  et  dona  ferentes." 

I  value  more  the  sympathy  of  the  poor  and  the  honest  condo- 
lence of  labor.  I  prefer  the  widow's  mite  to  the  more  ostenta- 
tions contributions  of  wealth  and  fashion.  This  calamity  has 
given  us  higher  hopes  and  broader  views  of  our  destiny.  How 
grand  was  the  character  of  our  beloved  President.  How 
noble  the  elements  displayed  in  the  heroic  conduct  of  his  wife, 
and  how  consoling  to  all  Americans  are  the  hopes  and  assur- 
ances of  the  stability  of  our  institutions.  There  are  many 
heroic  American  boys  now  toiling  on  the  tow-path  of  life,  who 
will  yet  sustain  the  high  character  of  American  manhood  as  de- 
veloped in  James  A.  Garfield,  and  thousands  of  our  American 
girls,  now  at  our  public  schools,  who  if  subjected  to  similar 
trials  will  develop  similar  traits  of  heroic  American  womanhood 
as  illustrated  by  his  wife.  We  have  buried  our  dead,  and  in  his 
grave  I  trust  we  have  buried  our  sectional  hatreds  and  political 
follies.  The  South  and  the  North  grasp  loving  hands  over  his 
closing  grave.  Conspicuous  by  his  auspicious  presence,  the  grand 


PRESIDENT  GABFIELD.  391 

soldier  of  Gettysburg  pays  his  proper  homage  to  him  who  won 
his  laurels  on  the  bloody  field  of  Chickamauga.  I  am  here  to 
fling  a  modest  flower  as  his  funeral  is  passing.  I  stand  in  this 
vast  tabernacle,  in  my  own  district,  which  gave  eight  thousand 
Democratic  majority,  to  deplore,  and  thus  fitly  represent  my  con- 
stituents in  deploring,  the  loss  of  a  Republican  President.  Had 
he  lived  his  administration  should  have  had  my  support  in  all 
that  an  honest  Democrat  could  do  to  make  the  country  happy  and 
prosperous  under  it,  and  I  think  I  represent  truly  the  Democrats, 
as  well  as  the  patriotic  masses  of  the  Republican  party  who  re- 
side in  this  district,  when  I  say  that  to  his  successor  I  shall  give 
similar  support.  I  was  among  the  five  million  American  voters 
who  cast  our  votes  for  the  unsuccessful  candidate,  but  General 
Garfield  was  and  General  Arthur  is  the  constitutional  President 
of  a  great  and  united  people,  whose  representatives  should  make 
no  factious  opposition  to  an  honest  administration,  trying  to 
serve  the  best  interests  of  a  common  people. 

SPEECH    OF    WILLIAM    C.    DE  WITT. 

There  is  no  need,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  for  my  voice  to  swell 
the  general  anthem  of  sorrow  or  of  praise  over  the  death  of  the 
President.  It  is  time  to  turn  our  eyes  to  brighter  things.  The 
funeral  rites  are  ended.  The  chief  whose  death  has  nearly  broken 
the  nation's  heart  now  lies  buried  in  the  bosom  of  his  own  be- 
loved Ohio.  The  obsequies  have  been  adequate.  The  mourn- 
ers comprise  the  whole  American  people,  and  the  sombre  tokens 
of  bereavement  mark  every  household  in  the  land.  Poetry  and 
oratory  have  exhausted  themselves  in  pathos  and  eulogy.  Gar- 
field  sleeps  to-night  under  a  wide  canopy  of  showering  and  shin- 
ing stars.  Memory's  urn  is  full  and  the  historic  cemetery  at 
Cleveland  will  hereafter  breathe  forever  of  the  fragrance  of  the 
flowers  of  every  State  and  of  every  clime.  Night  closes  in 
upon  the  scene,  and  the  offices  of  mourning  and  of  sorrow  are 
discharged.  It  would  be  a  sad  commentary  upon  an  intelligent 
people  if  they  exhausted  themselves  in  ebullitions  of  feel- 
ing alone  upon  the  event.  The  hour  has  arrived  to  consider 
the  lessons  taught  by  the  terrible  calamity  and  the  immediate 
and  the  exigent  needs  of  our  country  and  the  future.  So  far 
as  I  say  anything,  let  me  reason  with  you  upon  the  practical 
aspects  of  this  sad  occasion,  and  let  me  take  up  the  liberty 


392  TEE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

which  your  distinguished  pastor  extended  when  he  said  this 
was  a  platform  for  free  speech. 


GUITEAU  8    DOOM. 

There  is  an  individual  question  that  may  be  disposed  of  in  a  few 
words,  which  I  think  still  requires  comment.  We  feel  a  shock 
of  unutterable  shame  and  resentment  at  the  thought  that  such  a 
fiend  in  human  shape  as  Guiteau  could  be  born  of  woman.  I 
cannot  conceive  what  purpose  his  being  has  in  the  economy  of 
the  universe,  unles.s  it  is  to  confound  the  theory  of  Darwin  about 
the  "  survival  of  the  fittest,"  and  to  operate  as  a  knock-down 
argument  against  the  proposition  -of  Mr.  Ingersoll,  that  infinite 
justice  does  not  require  an  eternal  hell.  This  thing  answers 
these  two  purposes.  Guiteau  is  undoubtedly,  in  a  metaphysical 
sense,  a  lunatic — a  raving,  ranting,  infernal  lunatic.  But  our 
people  hesitate  to  believe  this,  because  they  think  it  follows  that, 
being  a  lunatic  in  a  general  sense,  he  will  not  be  liable  to  the 
punishment  of  death.  As  I  have  been  introduced  as  the  lawyer 
of  this  occasion,  permit  me  to  inform  you  that  such  is  not  the 
law.  The  grand  old  English  common  law,  the  finest  and  richest 
heritage  which  we  have  received  from  our  ancestors,  prevails  in 
Washington,  and  it  requires  only  this  measure  of  sanity  in  order 
to  hold  a  man  guilty  of  crime :  If  Guiteau  knew  that  what  he 
did  was  wrong,  that  it  was  murder  and  punishable  by  death,  he 
fills  the  measure,  and  is  responsible  for  his  act.  Now  if  all  men 
who  were  not  entirely  sane  were  irresponsible  in  the  criminal 
law,  there  would  be  more  liberty  and  license  than  any  peaceable 
citizen  would  like.  None  of  us  are  entirely  sane,  I  fear.  There 
is  a  streak  of  unsoundness  in  everybody,  and  there  is  a  terribly 
broad  track  of  lunacy  in  this  miserable  wretch ;  but  he  knew 
what  he  did  was  wrong,  that  the  shot  he  fired  entailed  homicide, 
and  that  the  punishment  established  for  the  crime  was  death. 
Hence,  the  American  people  need  have  no  apprehension  that 
leaving  him  to  the  law  he  will  be  convicted  and  hung.  The 
gallows  will  receive  new  infamy  from  his  death,  and  his  char- 
acter, as  I  have  already  intimated,  will  add  great  strength  to  the 
old  orthodox  notion  of  eternal  punishment  which  has  prevailed 
in  the  church  in  whose  edifice  I  have  the  honor  now  to  stand. 
But  there  is  a  wider  field  than  any  individual  question  thrust 
upon  us  now. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  393 


THE    PAST    TWENTY    YEARS. 

Our  country  needs  reformation.  That  is  evident.  As  I  had 
occasion  to  say  the  other  night,  the  past  twenty  years  have  been 
thronged  with  most  unnatural  and  startling  events.  I  make  no 
comment  upon  them,  but  they  seem  like  the  features  of  a  hide- 
ous dream.  We  had  five  years  of  war,  not  ordinary  war  against 
a  foreign  enemy,  but  home-made  war — the  hand  of  brother 
bathed  in  brother's  blood ;  fratricidal  war  carrying  to  their  long 
homes  a  million  and  more  than  a  million  of  our  people.  Within 
these  past  twenty  years  we  have  witnessed  corruption  and  dis- 
honor pervading  all  branches  of  the  public  service — local  crime 
seated  in  local  office — State  corruption  running  riot  in  the  State 
Legislature,  and  even  the  government  at  Washington  victimized 
by  hordes  of  dishonest  employees.  Within  twenty  years  we 
have  had  one  President  impeached  and  tried  for  high  crimes 
and  misdemeanors — another  holding  office  for  four  years  under 
a  title  which  was,  to  say  the  least,  far  from  satisfactory  even  to 
his  own  supporters,  and  now  two  Presidents — as  I  said  before, 
I  make  no  comments  upon  these  facts ;  I  wish  only  that  the 
American  people  may  reason,  may  look  at  the  truth  and  look  at 
these  facts,  and  see  what  are  the  lessons  of  the  hour — I  say  we 
have  had  two  Presidents  who  have  fallen  at  the  hand  of  the 
assassin.  If  these  events  had  occurred  among  a  passionate  and 
thoughtless  people,  they  would  not  be  so  remarkable.  Look  at 
them  dispassionately,  as  the  historian  will  look  upon  them  a  hun- 
dred years  hence.  The  singularity  of  them  is  that  they  have  oc- 
curred among  an  intelligent  and  a  prosperous  people.  A  poor 
man  will  be  excused  for  being  seen  in  a  poor  coat,  but  why  should 
the  rich  go  about  like  tramps  ?  Why  should  the  American  peo- 
ple, great,  intelligent,  wealthy,  powerful,  have  thrown  out  in  the 
progress  of  their  events  these  stupendous  happenings  ?  It  is  not 
the  fault,  as  I  have  said,  of  the  masses ;  it  is  not  the  fault  of  our 
civil  law,  for  the  wisest  civil  law  on  earth  prevails  in  this  coun- 
try ;  it  is  not  the  fault  of  our  government,  for  the  government, 
as  has  been  said  here  to-night,  framed  by  Washington  and  his 
compeers,  constitutes  the  finest  fabric  of  human  government 
that  ever  blessed  the  earth.  What  is  it,  my  friends  ?  I  think  I 
know,  and  if  you  will  allow  me,  without  any  manifestation  of 
criticism,  I  will  undertake  to  tell  you  with  that  frankness  which 
I  try  to  employ  whenever  I  am  addressing  my  fellow-men : 
17* 


394  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


THE    MONSTER   EVIL. 

The  party  warfares,  the  manner  of  administering  political  par- 
ties, is  the  monster  evil  of  the  times.  What  have  we  ?  The 
Democrat  clings  to  his  party  because  of  some  faith  in  the  prin- 
ciples of  Jefferson  and  the  revolution  of  '98,  some  devotion  to 
community  independence  and  State  rights — things  that  are  as 
inopportune  as  the  fashions  of  the  Knickerbockers.  The  Repub- 
lican adheres  with  boundless  enthusiasm  to  his  party,  because  it 
was  the  party  of  emancipation,  the  party  which,  he  claims,  car- 
ried the  country  triumphantly  through  the  war — things  great, 
as  I  am  glad  to  see  my  applauding  friends  regard  them,  yet 
things  of  the  past.  Neither  party  represents  the  living  and  agi- 
tating issues  of  the  hour.  If  you  have  any  views  upon  the 
questions  of  protective  tariff  or  free  trade — which  party  repre- 
sents them  ?  It  may  be  that  in  the  glittering  symbols  of  a  party 
platform  something  is  presented,  but  the  adherents  of  each  party 
are  actually  divided  almost  in  half  upon  that  issue.  If  you  have 
distinctive  views  upon  the  question  of  civil  service  reform  or 
upon  the  great  or  growing  questions  arising  from  the  universal 
concentration  of  wealth  in  the  hands  of  the  few,  the  upgrowing 
of  large  corporations  and  their  influence  upon  the  administration 
of  government — if  you  have  strong  convictions  on  either  one  of 
these  questions — neither  party  gives  full  expression  to  your 
views.  I  would  just  as  soon  think  of  sending  a  young  man  to 
do  his  courting  among  the  inmates  of  the  Old  Ladies'  Home  as 
to  send  any  patriot  with  strong  views  on  any  of  the  live  issues 
of  the  times  to  either  of  the  present  political  parties  for  a  proper 
exposition  of  his  sentiments.  Now,  it  was  never  the  design 
that  a  party  should  last  so  long  upon  dead  issues.  The  sover- 
eignty of  this  country  rests  with  the  people.  The  crown  is  in 
the  hands  of  the  masses,  and  the  theory  of  the  fathers  was  that 
our  government  was  to  represent  the  voice  of  the  people ;  but 
now  the  voice  of  the  people  must  go  and  pipe  itself,  instead  of 
through  the  cornet  of  some  new  and  present  party,  through 
some  old  revolutionary  and  broken  horn.  If  a  man  be  up  for 
office,  it  is  not  how  well  he  can  serve.  The  idea  of  a  man  run- 
ning for  local  office  in  any  city  of  the  country  being  selected 
with  reference  to  the  particular  views  he  has  in  respect  to  the 
resolutions  of  '98,  State  rights,  emancipation,  or  some  other 
national  issue !  They  have  no  more  to  do  with  local  govern- 


PRESIDENT  OARFIELD.  395 

ment  than  his  views  about  the  obliquity  of  the  ecliptic,  or  the 
moons  of  the  planet  Jupiter.  Not  a  bit.  Nor  have  his  views 
on  these  national  questions  any  more  to  do  with  the  candidate 
for  State  office,  and  so  I  say  it  is  we  have  here  a  form  of  popu- 
lar expression  in  the  shape  of  party  which  does  not  give  vent  to 
the  sentiment  and  the  spirit  of  the  masses — which  quarrels  for- 
ever over  dead  issues,  and  hence  by  bearing  down  upon  the  one 
point  makes  a  lunacy  among  the  masses  instead  of  a  government 
of  the  people.  And  it  was  this  perpetual  agitation,  it  has  been 
this  perpetual  agitation  which  has  led  largely  to  the  events  to 
which  I  have  alluded. 

A    NOVEL    PROPOSITION. 

In  the  liberty  that  was  extended  to  me,  let  me  say,  for  one,  I 
believe  the  wisest  and  the  greatest  and  the  most  heroic  thing 
that  President  Arthur  could  do  would  be  to  imitate  the  example 
of  General  Washington,  in  whose  Cabinet  sat  the  State  rights 
Jefferson  and  the  Federalist  Hamilton,  and  select  the  new  Cabi- 
net indifferently  from  the  leading  men  of  each  political  party, 
and  range  his  administration  upon  all  the  living  issues  of  the 
times,  and  then  at  its  close  take  upon  it  the  fair  verdict  of  the 
people  at  the  polls.  I  understand  that  the  hide-bound  partisan 
and  politician  would  carp  and  rave  at  such  an  act ;  but  I  believe 
the  American  people  would  rise  to  a  full  appreciation  of  so  novel 
and  grand  a  piece  of  statesmanship.  Now,  my  friends,  these 
are  the  ideas  that  I  think  meet  for  the  occasion.  1  hope  there 
will  be  no  more  wrangling  for  Federal  patronage,  such  as  has  its 
blossom  in  this  poisonous  thing  that  is  to  die.  I  hope  there 
will  be  no  more  abusive  quarrelling  between  parties  after  there 
has  been  such  a  manifestation  of  common  sympathy  and  com- 
mon patriotism.  I  trust  the  American  people  will  come  up  to 
a  new  and  a  better  time.  We  want  a  new  dispensation  and 
another  day,  and  as  we  journey  up  out  of  the  shadows  of  this 
hard  and  painful  gloom — out  of  the  valley  of  this  most  unusual 
night,  let  us  press  on  to  the  mountain  tops.  Lo  !  the  morning 
dawns,  and  there  shall  be  for  our  country  a  new  heaven  and  a 
new  earth. 


396  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


LIFE  OF  JAMES  A.  GAEFIELD. 


HIS    ANCESTORS    AND    BIRTHPLACE. 

ON  both  his  father's  and  his  mother's  side  General  Garfield 
comes  of  a  long  line  of  New  England  ancestry.  The  first  of 
the  American  Garfields  was  Edward,  who  came  from  Chester, 
England,  to  Massachusetts  Bay  as  early  as  1630,  settled  at 
Watertown,  and  died  June  14,  1672,  age  ninety-seven.  One  of 
the  family,  Abraham  Garfield,  a  great-uncle  of  General  Garfield, 
was  in  the  fight  at  Concord  Bridge,  and  was  one  of  the  signers 
of  the  affidavits  sent  to  the  Continental  Congress  at  Philadel- 
phia to  prove  that  the  British  were  the  aggressors  in  that  affair, 
and  fired  twice  before  the  patriots  replied.  After  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  several  members  of  the  family  left  Massachusetts 
and  settled  in  Central  New  York.  General  Garfield's  father, 
Abram  Garfield,  was  born  there  in  1799.  He  lived  there  till 
his  eighteenth  year,  when  he  went  to  Newburg,  Ohio,  and  soon 
after  settled  near  Zanesville.  He  was  a  tall,  robust  young  fel- 
low, of  very  much  the  same  type  as  his  famous  son,  but  a 
handsomer  man,  according  to  the  verdict  of  his  wife.  He  had 
a  sunny,  genial  temper,  like  most  men  of  great  physical  strength, 
was  a  great  favorite  with  his  associates,  and  was  a  natural  leader 
and  master  of  the  rude  characters  with  whom  he  was  thrown  in 
his  forest-clearing  work  and  his  later  labors  in  building  the 
Ohio  Canal.  His  education  was  confined  to  a  few  terms  in  the 
Worcester  district  school,  and  the  only  two  specimens  of  his 
writing  extant  show  that  it  was  not  thorough  enough  to  give 
him  much  knowledge  of  the  science  of  orthography.  He  was 
fond  of  reading,  but  the  hard  life  of  a  poor  man  in  a  new  coun- 
try gave  him  little  time  to  read  books,  if  he  had  had  the  money 
to  buy  them.  The  weekly  newspapers  and  a  few  volumes  bor- 
rowed from  neighbors  formed  his  intellectual  diet. 

On  the  3d  of  February,  1820,  Abram  Garfield  and  Eliza 
Ballou  were  married  in  the  village  of  Zanesville  by  a  justice  of 
the  peace  named  Richard  H.  Hogan.  The  bridegroom  lacked 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  397 

nine  months  of  being  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  the  bride  was 
only  eighteen.  Eliza  Ballou's  father  was  a  cousin  of  Hosea 
Ballou,  the  founder  of  Universalism  in  this  country.  Eliza  was 
born  in  1801.  The  Ballous  are  of  Huguenot  origin,  and  are 
directly  descended  from  Maturin  Ballou,  who  fled  from  France 
on  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  and  with  other  French 
Protestants  joined  Roger  Williams's  colony  in  Rhode  Island, 
the  only  American  colony  founded  on  the  basis  of  full  religious 
liberty.  The  gift  of  eloquence  was  undoubtedly  derived  by 
General  Garfield  from  the  Ballous,  who  were  a  race  of  preachers. 

The  newly-wedded  pair  went  to  Newburg,  Cuyahoga  County, 
Ohio — now  a  part  of  the  city  of  Cleveland — and  began  life  in  a 
small  log  house  on  a  new  farm  of  eighty  acres.  In  January, 
1821,  their  first  child,  Mehitabel,  was  born.  In  October,  1822, 
Thomas  was  born,  and  Mary  in  October,  1824.  In  1826  the 
family  removed  to  New  Philadelphia,  Tuscarawas  County,  where 
the  father  had  a  contract  to  construct  three  miles  of  canal.  In 
1827  the  fourth  child,  James  B.,  was  torn.  This  was  the  only 
one  of  the  children  that  the  parents  lost.  He  died  in  1830, 
after  the  family  returned  to  the  lake  country.  In  January, 
1830,  Abram  went  to  Orange  Township,  Cuyahoga  County, 
where  lived  Amos  Boynton,  his  half-brother — the  son  of  his 
mother  by  her  second  husband — and  bought  eighty  acres  of 
land  at  $2  an  acre.  The  country  was  nearly  all  wild,  and  the 
new  farm  had  to  be  carved  out  of  the  forest.  Boynton  pur- 
chased at  the  same  time  a  tract  of  the  same  size  adjoining,  and 
the  two  families  lived  together  for  a  few  weeks  in  a  log  house 
built  by  the  joint  labors  of  the  men.  Soon  a  second  cabin  was 
reared  across  the  road.  The  dwelling  of  the  Garfields  was  built 
after  the  standard  pattern  of  the  houses  of  poor  Ohio  farmers 
in  that  day.  Its  walls  were  of  logs,  its  roof  was  of  shingles 
split  with  an  axe,  and  its  floor  of  rude  thick  planking  split  out 
of  tree-trunks  with  a  wedge  and  maul.  It  had  only  a  single 
room,  at  one  end  of  which  was  the  big  cavernous  chimney, 
where  the  cooking  was  done,  and  at  the  other  a  bed.  The 
younger  children  slept  in  a  trundle-bed,  which  was  pushed 
under  the  bedstead  of  their  parents  in  the  daytime  to  get  it  out 
of  the  way,  for  there  was  no  room  to  spare ;  the  older  ones 
climbed  a  ladder  to  the  loft  under  the  steep  roof.  lu  this  house 
James  A.  Garfield  was  born,  November  19,  1831. 

The  father  worked  hard  early  and  Iale~to~clear  his  land  and 


398  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

plant  and  gather  his  crops.  No  man  in  all  the  region  around 
could  wield  an  axe  like  him.  Fenced  fields  soon  took  the  place 
of  the  forest;  an  orchard  was  planted,  a  barn  built,  and  the 
family  was  full  of  hope  for  the  future  when  death  removed  its 
strong  support.  One  day  in  May,  1833,  a  fire  broke  out  in  the 
woods,  and  Abram  Garfield,  after  heating  his  blood  and  exert- 
ing his  strength  to  keep  the  flames  from  his  fences  and  fields, 
sat  down  to  rest  where  a  cold  wind  blew,  and  was  seized  with  a 
violent  sore  throat.  A  country  doctor  put  a  blister  on  his  neck, 
which  seemed  only  to  hasten  his  death.  Just  before  he  died, 
pointing  to  his  children,  he  said  to  his  wife,  "  Eliza,  I  have 
planted  four  saplings  in  these  woods.  I  leave  them  to  your 
care."  He  was  buried  in  a  corner  of  a  wheat-field  on  his  farm. 
James,  the  baby,  was  eighteen  months  old  at  the  time. 

HIS    BOYHOOD. 

The  childhood  of  James  A.  Garfield  was  passed  in  almost 
complete  isolation  from  social  influences  save  those  which  pro- 
ceeded from  the  home  of  his  mother  and  that  of  his  uncle 
Boynton.  The  farms  of  the  Garfields  and  Boyntons  were  par- 
tially separated  from  the  settled  country  around  by  a  large  tract 
of  forest  on  one  side  and  a  deep  rocky  ravine  on  another.  For 
many  years  after  Abram  Garfield  and  his  half-brother  Boynton 
built  their  log  cabins  the  nearest  house  was  seven  miles  distant, 
and  when  the  country  became  well  settled  the  rugged  character 
of  the  surface  around  their  farms  kept  neighbors  at  a  distance 
too  great  for  the  children  of  the  two  families  to  find  associates 
among  them,  save  at  the  district  school.  The  district  school-, 
house  stood  upon  a  corner  of  the  Garfield  farm,  and  it  was  there, 
when  nearly  four  years  old,  that  James  conned  his  "  Noah 
Webster's  Spelling  Book,"  and  learned  his  "  a-b  ab's." 

James  was  put  to  farm  work  as  soon  as  he  was  big  enough  to 
be  of  any  use.  The  family  was  very  poor,  and  the  mother 
often  worked  in  the  fields  with  the  boys.  She  spun  the  yarn 
and  wove  the  cloth  for  the  children's  clothes  and  her  own, 
sewed  for  the  neighbors,  knit  stockings,  cooked  the  simple 
meals  for  the  household  in  the  big  fireplace,  over  which  hung 
an  iron  crane  for  the  pot-hooks;  helped  plant  and  hoe  the  corn 
and  gather  the  hay  crop,  and  even  assisted  the  oldest  boy  to 
clear  and  fence  land.  In  the  midst  of  this  toilsome  life  the 
brave  little  woman  found  time  to  instil  into  the  minds  of  her 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  399 

children  the  religious  and  moral  maxims  of  her  New  England 
ancestry.  Every  day  she  read  four  chapters  of  the  Bible — a 
practice  she  keeps  up  to  this  time,  and  has  never  interrupted  for 
a  single  day  save  when  lying  upon  a  sick-bed.  The  children 
lived  in  an  atmosphere  of  religious  thought  and  discussion. 
Uncle  Boynton,  who  was  a  second  father  to  the  Garfield  family, 
flavored  all  his  talk  with  Bible  quotations.  He  carried  a  Testa- 
ment in  his  pocket  wherever  he  went,  and  would  sit  on  his 
plough-beam  at  the  end  of  a  furrow  to  take  it  out  and  read  a 
chapter.  It  was  a  time  of  religious  ferment  in  Northern  Ohio. 
New  sects  filled  the  air  with  their  doctrinal  cries.  The  Disci- 
ples, a  sect  founded  by  the  preaching  of  Alexander  Campbell^ 
an  eloquent  and  devout  man  of  Scotch  descent,  who  ranged 
over  Kentucky,  Ohio,  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania,  from  his  home 
at  Bethany  in  the  "  Pan  Handle,"  had  made  great  progress. 
They  assailed  all  creeds  as  made  by  men,  and  declared  the  Bible 
to  be  the  only  rule  of  life.  Attacking  all  the  older  denomina- 
tions, they  were  vigorously  attacked  in  turn.  James's  mind 
was  filled  at  an  early  day  with  the  controversies  this  new  sect 
excited.  The  guests  at  his  mother's  house  were  mostly  travel- 
ling preachers,  and  the  talk  of  the  neighborhood,  when  not 
about  the  crops  and  farm  labors,  was  usually  on  religious  topics. 
At  the  district  school  James  was  known  as  a  fighting  boy. 
He  found  that  the  larger  boys  were  disposed  to  insult  and 
abuse  a  little  fellow  who  had  no  father  or  big  brother  to  protect 
him,  and  he  resented  such  imposition  with  all  the  force  of  a 
sensitive  nature  backed  by  a  hot  temper,  great  physical  cour- 
age, and  a  strength  unusual  for  his  age.  His  big  brother 
Thomas  had  finished  his  schooling  and  was  much  away  from 
home,  working  by  the  day  or  month  to  earn  money  for  the 
support  of  the  family.  Many  stories  are  told  in  Orange  of  the 
pluck  shown  by  the  future  major-general  in  his  encounters  with 
the  rough  country  lads  in  defence  of  his  boyish  rights  and 
] honor.  They  say  he  never  began  a  fight  and  never  cherished 
malice,  but  when  enraged  by  taunts  or  insults  would  attack  boys 
of  twice  his  size  with  the  fury  and  tenacity  of  a  bull-dog.  A 
few  years  after  the  death  of  his  father  the  house  was  enlarged 
in  a  curious  fashion.  The  log  school-house  was  abandoned  for 
a  now  frame  building,  and  the  old  structure  was  bought  by 
Thomas  Garfield  for  a  trifle,  and  he  and  James,  with  the  help 
of  the  Boynton  boys,  pulled  it  down  and  pu.ti  it  UD  again  on  a 


400  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

site  a  few  steps  in  the  rear  of  the  Garfield  dwelling.  Thus  the 
family  had  two  rooms  and  were  tolerably  comfortable,  as  far  as 
household  accommodations  were  concerned.  In  these  two  log 
buildings  they  lived  until  James  was  fourteen,  when  the  boys 
built  a  small  frame  house  for  their  mother.  It  was  painted  red 
and  had  three  rooms  below  and  two  under  the  roof. 

FARM    BOY    AND    BOATMAN. 

James  often  got  employment  in  the  haying  and  harvesting 
season  from  the  farmers  of  Orange.  When  he  was  sixteen  he 
walked  ten  miles,  to  Aurora,  in  company  with  a  boy  older  than 
himself,  looking  for  work.  They  offered  their  services  to  a 
farmer  who  had  a  good  deal  of  hay  to  cut.  "  What  wages  do 
you  expect  ?"  asked  the  man.  "  Man's  wages — a  dollar  a  day," 
replied  young  Garfield.  The  farmer  thought  they  were  not  old 
enough  to  earn  full  wages.  "  Then  let  us  mow  that  field  by 
the  acre,"  said  the  young  man.  The  fanner  agreed;  the  cus- 
tomary price  per  acre  was  50  cents.  By  4  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon the  hay  was  down  and  the  boys  earned  a  dollar  apiece. 
Then  the  farmer  engaged  them  for  a  fortnight.  James's  first 
wages  were  earned  from  a  merchant  who  had  an  ashery  where 
he  leached  ashes  and  made  black  salts,  which  were  shipped  by 
lake  and  canal  to  New  York.  He  got  $9  a  month  and  his 
board,  and  stuck  to  the  business  for  two  months,  at  the  end  of 
which  his  hair  below  his  cap  was  bleached  and  colored  by 
the  fumes  until  it  assumed  a  lively  red  hue.  Afterward  he  went 
to  Newburg,  where  an  uncle  lived,  who  had  a  piece  of  oak- 
timbered  land  to  clear  on  the  edge  of  Independence  township. 
James  agreed  to  chop  100  cords  of  wood  at  50  cents  a  cord. 
He  boarded  with  one  of  his  sisters,  who  was  married  and  lived 
near  by.  He  was  a  good  chopper,  and  easily  cut  two  cords  a 
day. 

The  view  of  Lake  Erie  and  the  passing  sails  stirred  afresh  in 
him  the  ambition  to  be  a  sailor,  which  almost  every  sturdy 
farmer's  boy  feels  who  reads  talcs  of  sea-fights  and  adventures 
in  the  quiet  monotony  of  his  inland  home.  He  resolved  to  ship 
on  one  of  the  lake  craft,  and  with  this  purpose  he  walked  to 
Cleveland  and  boarded  a  schooner  lying  at  the  wharf,  and  told 
the  captain  he  wanted  to  hire  out  as  a  sailor.  The  captain,  a 
brutal,  drunken  fellow,  was  amazed  at  the  impudence  of  the 
green  country  lad,  an(J  answered  him  with  a  torrent  of  profan- 


PRESIDENT  OARFIELD.  401 

ity.  Escaping  as  quickly  as  he  could  from  the  vessel,  the  lad 
walked  up  the  river  along  the  docks.  Soon  he  heard  himself 
called  by  name  from  the  deck  of  a  canal  boat,  and,  turning 
around,  recognized  a  cousin,  Amos  Letcher,  who  told  him  he 
commanded  the  craft,  and  proposed  to  engage  him  to  drive 
horses  on  the  tow-path.  The  would-be  sailor  thought  that 
here  was  a  chance  to  learn  something  of  navigation  in  a  humble 
way,  preparatory  to  renewing  his  application  for  service  on  the 
lakes.  He  accepted  the  offer  and  the  wages  of  "  ten  dollars  a 
month  and  found,"  and  next  day  the  boat  started  for  Pittsburg 
with  a  cargo  of  copper  ore.  It  was  called  the  Evening  Star, 
was  open  amidships,  and  had  a  cabin  at  the  bow  for  the  horses 
and  one  at  the  stern  for  the  men.  On  the  return  trip  the  Even- 
ing Star  stopped  at  Brier  Hill  on  the  Mabouing  River,  and 
loaded  with  coal  at  the  mines  of  David  Tod,  afterward  Governor 
of  Ohio,  and  a  warm  friend  of  Garfield  the  major-general  and 
member  of  Congress.  The  boating  episode  in  Garfield's  life 
lasted  through  the  season  of  1848.  After  the  first  trip  to  Pitts- 
burg  the  boat  went  back  and  forth  between  Cleveland  and 
Brier  Hill  with  cargoes  of  coal  and  iron. 

Late  in  the  fall  the  young  driver,  who  had  risen  to  the  post 
of  steersman,  was  seized  with  a  violent  attack  of  ague,  which 
kept  him  at  home  all  winter  and  in  bed  most  of  the  time.  All 
his  summer's  earnings  went  for  doctor's  bills  and  medicines. 
When  he  recovered,  his  mother,  who  had  never  approved  of  his 
canal  adventure,  dissuaded  him  from  carrying  out  his  project  of 
shipping  on  the  lakes.  To  master  one  passion  she  stimulated 
another — that  of  study.  She  brought  to  her  help  the  district 
school-teacher,  an  excellent,  thoughtful  man  named  Samuel  D. 
Bates,  who  fired  the  boy's  mind  with  a  desire  for  a  good  edu- 
cation, and  doubtless  changed  the  course  of  his  life.  He  went 
to  the  Geauga  Academy,  at  Chester,  a  village  a  few  miles  dis- 
tant, and  began  a  new  career. 

He  repulsed  all  efforts  to  persuade  him  to  join  the  church, 
and  when  pressed  hard  stayed  away  from  meetings  for  several 
Sundays.  Apparently  he  wanted  full  freedom  to  reach  con- 
clusions about  religion  by  his  own  mental  processes.  It  was 
not  until  he  was  eighteen  and  had  been  two  terms  at  the  Ches- 
ter school  that  he  joined  his  uncle's  congregation.  He  was 
baptized  in  March,  1850,  in  a  little  stream  putting  into  the 
Chagrin  River.  His  conversion  was  accomplished  by  a  quiet, 


402  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

sweet-tempered  man,  who  held  a  series  of  meetings  in  the 
school-house  near  the  Garfield  homestead,  and  told  in  the  plain- 
est and  most  straightforward  manner  the  story  of  the  Gospel. 
A  previous  perusal  of  Pollok's  "  Course  of  Time"  had  made  a 
deep  impression  upon  him  and  turned  his  thoughts  to  religious 
subjects. 

FIGHT    FOR   AN    EDUCATION. 


The  country  schoolmaster  who  helped  Mrs.  Garfield  dissuade 
|i£r  eon  from  going  as  a  sailor  on  the  lakes  in  the  spring  of 
1849  was  a  student  at  Geauga  Academy,  a  Free  Will  Baptist 
institution  in  the  village  of  Chester,  ten  miles  away  from  the 
home  of  the  Garfields  in  Orange.  The  argument  which  finally 
turned  the  robust  lad  from  his  cherished  plan  of  adventure  was 
advanced  by  his  mother,  and  was  that,  if  he  fitted  himself  for 
teaching  by  a  few  terms  in  school,  he  could  teach  winters  and 
sail  summers,  and  thus  have  employment  the  year  round.  In  the 
month  of  March,  with  $17  in  his  pocket,  got  together  by  his 
mother  and  his  brother  Thomas,  James  went  to  Chester  with 
his  cousins,  William  and  Henry  Boynton.  The  boys  took  a 
stock  of  provisions  along,  and  rented  a  room  with  two  beds  and 
a  cook-stove  in  an  old,  unpainted  house,  where  lived  a  poor 
widow  woman,  who  undertook  to  prepare  their  meals  and  do 
their  washing  for  an  absurdly  small  sum.  The  academy  was  a 
two-story  building,  and  the  school,  with  about  a  hundred  pupils 
of  both  sexes,  drawn  from  the  farming  country  around  Chester, 
was  in  a  flourishing  condition.  It  had  a  library  of  perhaps  one 
hundred  and  fifty  volumes — more  books  than  young  Garfield 
had  ever  seen  before.  A  venerable  gentleman  named  Daniel 
Branch  was  principal  of  the  school,  and  his  wife  was  his  chief 
assistant.  At  the  end  of  the  term  of  twelve  weeks  he  went 
home  to  Orange,  helped  his  brother  build  a  barn  for  their 
mother,  and  then  worked  for  day  wages  at  haying  and  harvest- 
ing. With  the  money  he  earned  he  paid  off  some  arrears  of 
doctors'  bills  left  from  his  long  illness.  When  he  returned  to 
Chester  in  the  fall  he  had  one  silver  sixpence  in  his  pocket. 
Going  to  church  nexf  day  he  dropped  the  sixpence  in  the 
contribution-box. 

He  had  made  an  arrangement  with  Homan  Woodworth,  a 
carpenter  in  the  village,  to  live  at  his  house  and  have  lodging, 
board,  washing,  fuel  and  light  for  $1.06  a  week,  and  this  sum 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  403 

he  expected  to  earn  by  helping  the  carpenter  on  Saturdays  and 
at  odd  hours  on  school  days.  The  carpenter  was  building  a  two- 
story  house,  and  James's  first  work  was  to  get  out  siding  at  2 
cents  a  board.  The  first  Saturday  he  planed  fifty-one  boards, 
and  so  earned  $1.02,  the  most  money  he  had  ever  got  for  a 
day's  work.  That  term  he  paid  his  way,  bought  a  few  books, 
and  returned  home  with  $8  in  his  pocket.  He  now  thought 
himself  competent  to  teach  a  country  school,  but  in  two  days' 
tramping  through  Cuyahoga  County  failed  to  find  employment. 
Some  schools  had  already  engaged  teachers,  and  where  there 
was  still  a  vacancy  the  trustees  thought  him  too  young.  He 
returned  home  completely  discouraged  and  greatly  humiliated 
by  the  rebuffs  he  had  met  with.  He  made  a  resolution  that  he 
would  never  again  ask  for  a  position  of  any  sort,  and  the  reso- 
lution was  kept,  for  every  public  place  he  has  since  had  has  come 
to  him  unsought. 

Next  morning,  while  still  in  the  depths  of  despondency,  he 
heard  a  man  call  to  his  mother  from  the  road,  "  Widow  Gaf- 
field  "  (a  local  corruption  of  the  name  Garfield),  "  where's  your 
boy  Jim  ?  I  wonder  if  he  wouldn't  like  to  teach  our  school  at 
the  Ledge."  James  went  out  and  found  a  neighbor  from  a  dis- 
trict a  mile  away,  where  the  school  had  been  broken  up  for  two 
winters  by  the  rowdyism  of  the  big  boys.  He  said  he  would 
like-  to  try  the  school,  but  before  deciding  must  consult  his 
uncle,  Amos  Boynton.  That  evening  there  was  a  family  coun- 
cil. Uncle  Amos  pondered  over  the  matter,  and  finally  said, 
"  You  go  and  try  it.  You  will  go  into  that  school  as  the  boy, 
'Tim  Gaffield ; '  see  that  you  come  out  as  Mr.  Garfield,  the  school- 
master." The  young  man  mastered  the  school,  after  a  hard 
tussle  in  the  school-room  with  the  bully  of  the  district,  who  re- 
sented a  flogging  and  tried  to  brain  the  teacher  with  a  billet  of 
wood.  His  wages  were  $12  a  month  and  board,  and  he  "  board- 
ed around"  in  the  families  of  the  pupils. 

He  bad  $48  in  the  spring — more  money  'than  had  ever  been 
in  his  possession  before.  Before  returning  to  Chester  be  joined 
the  Disciples'  Church,  and  bis  religious  experience  together 
with  his  new  interest  in  teaching,  caused  him  to  abandon  his 
boyhood  ambition  of  becoming  a  sailor.  During  his  third  term 
at  the  academy  he  and  his  cousin  Henry  boarded  themselves. 
At  the  end  of  six  weeks  the  boys  found  their  expenses  for  food 
had  been  just  31  cents  per  week  apiece.  Henry  thought  they 


404  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

were  living  too  poorly  for  good  health,  and  they  agreed  to  in- 
crease their  outlay  to  50  cents  a  week  apiece.  James  had  up  to 
this  time  looked  upon  a  college  course  as  wholly  beyond  his 
reach,  but  he  met  a  college  graduate  who  told  him  he  was  mis- 
taken in  supposing  that  only  the  sons  of  rich  parents  were  able 
to  take  such  a  course.  A  poor  boy  could  get  through,  he  said, 
but  it  would  take  a  long  time  and  very  hard  work.  The  usual 
time  was  four  years  in  preparatory  studies  and  four  in  the  regu- 
lar college  course.  James  thought  that  by  working  part  of  the 
time  to  earn  money  he  could  get  through  in  twelve  years.  lie 
then  resolved  to  bend  all  his  energies  to  the  one  purpose  of  get- 
ting a  college  education. 

From  this  resolution  he  never  swerved  a  hair's-breadth.  Un- 
til it  was  accomplished  it  was  the  one  overmastering  idea  of  his 
life.  The  tenacity  and  single-heartedness  with  which  he  clung 
to  it  and  the  sacrifices  he  made  to  realize  it  unquestionably  ex- 
erted a  powerful  influence  in  moulding  and  solidifying  his 
character.  He  began  to  study  Latin,  philosophy  and  botany. 
When  the  spring  term  ended  he  went  home  again  and  worked 
through  the  summer  at  haying  and  carpentering.  Next  fall  he 
was  back  at  Chester  for  a  fourth  term,  and  in  the  winter  he  got 
a  village  school  to  teach  in  Warrensville,  at  $16  a  month  and 
board. 

Returning  to  Orange  in  the  summer,  he  decided  to  go  on 
with  his  education  at  a  new  school  just  established  by  the 
Disciples  at  Hiram,  Portage  County,  a  petty  cross-roads  village, 
twelve  miles  from  a  town  and  a  railroad.  His  religious  feeling 
naturally  called  him  to  the  young  institution  of  his  own  denom- 
ination. In  August,  1851,  he  arrived  at  Hiram,  and  found  a 
plain  brick  building  standing  in  the  midst  of  a  corn-field,  with 
perhaps  a  dozen  farm-houses  near  enough  for  boarding  places 
for  the  students.  He  lived  in  a  room  with  four  other  pupils, 
studied  harder  than  ever,  having  now  his  college  project  fully 
anchored  in  his  mind,  got  through  his  six  books  of  Caasar  that 
term,.and  made  good  progress  in  Greek.  In  the  winter  he 
again  taught  school  at  Warrensville,  and  earned  $18  a  month. 
Next  spring  he  was  back  at  Hiram  and  during  the  summer  va- 
cation he  helped  build  a  house  in  the  village,  planing  all  the 
siding  and  shingling  the  roof. 

At  the  beginning  of  his  second  year  at  Hiram,  Garfield  was 
made  a  tutor  in  place  of  one  of  the  teachers  who  fell  ill,  and 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  405 

thenceforward  he  taught  and  studied  at  the  same  time,  working 
tremendously  to  fit  himself  for  college.  His  future  wife  recited 
to  him  two  years  in  Greek,  and  when  he  went  to  college  she 
went  to  teach  in  the  Cleveland  schools,  and  to  wait  patiently 
the  realization  of  their  hopes.  When  he  went  to  Hiram  he  had 
studied  Latin  only  six  weeks  and  had  just  begun  Greek,  and 
was  therefore  just  in  a  condition  to  fairly  begin  the  four  years' 
preparatory  course  ordinarily  taken  by  students  before  entering 
college  in  the  freshman  class.  Yet  in  three  years'  time  he  fitted 
himself  to  enter  the  junior  class,  two  years  further  along,  and  at 
the  same  time  earned  his  own  living,  thus  crowding  six  years1 
study  iato  three,  and  teaching  for  his  support  at  the  same  time. 
To  accomplish  this,  he  shut  the  whole  world  out  from  his  mind 
save  that  little  portion  of  it  within  the  range  of  his  studies, 
knowing  nothing  of  politics  or  the  news  of  the  day,  reading 
no  light  literature,  and  engaging  in  no  social  recreations  that 
took  his  time  from  his  books. 

In  the  spring  of  1854  he  wrote  to  the  presidents  of  Yale, 
Brown  and  Williams,  telling  what  books  he  had  studied,  and 
asked  what  class  he  could  enter  if  he  passed  a  satisfactory  ex- 
amination in  them.  All  three  wrote  that  he  could  enter  the 
junior  year.  President  Hopkins,  of  Williams,  added  this  sen- 
tence to  the  business  part  of  his  letter,  "  If  you  come  here,  we 
shall  do  what  we  can  for  you."  This  seemed  like  a  kindly  hand 
held  out,  and  it  decided  him  to  go  to  Williams.  He  had  been 
urged  to  go  to  the  Disciples'  College  in  Bethany,  Virginia, 
founded  by  Alexander  Campbell,  but  with  a  wisdom  hardly  to 
be  expected  in  a  country  lad  devotedly  attached  to  the  sect  rep- 
resented by  the  Bethany  school,  he  sought  the  wider  culture 
and  broader  opportunities  of  a  New  England  college. 

LIFE    AT    COLLEGE. 

When  Garfield  reached  Williams  College,  in  June,  1854,  he 
had  about  $300  which  he  had  saved  while  teaching  in  the  Hiram 
school.  With  this  money  he  hoped  to  manage  to  get  through 
a  year.  A  few  weeks  remained  of  the  closing  school  year,  and 
he  attended  the  recitations  of  the  sophomore  class  in  order  to 
get  familiar  with  the  methods  of  the  professors  before  testing 
his  ability  to  pass  the  examinations  for  the  junior  year.  The 
examination  for  entering  the  junior  class  was  passed  without 
trouble.  Although  self-taught,  his  knowledge  of  the  books  pre- 


406  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

scribed  was  thorough.  A  long  summer  vacation  followed  his 
examination,  and  this  time  he  employed  in  the  college  library, 
the  first  large  collection  of  books  he  had  ever  seen.  His  absorp- 
tion in  the  double  work  of  teaching  and  fitting  himself  for  col- 
lege had  hitherto  left  him  little  time  for  general  reading,  and 
the  library  opened  a  new  world  of  profit  and  delight.  He  had 
never  read  a  line  of  Shakespeare,  save  a  few  extracts  in  the 
school  reading-books.  From  the  whole  range  of  fiction 
he  had  voluntarily  shut  himself  off  at  eighteen,  when 
he  joined  the  Church,  having  serious  views  of  the  busi- 
ness of  life,  and  imbibing  the  notion,  then  almost  uni- 
versal among  religious  people  in  the  country  districts  of  the 
West,  that  novel-reading  was  a  waste  of  time,  and  therefore  a 
sinful,  worldly  sort  of  intellectual  amusement.  When  turned 
loose  in  the  college  library,  with  weeks  of  leisure  to  range  at  will 
over  its  shelves,  he  began  with  Shakespeare,  which  he  read 
through  from  cover  to  cover.  Then  he  went  to  English 
history  and  poetry.  Of  the  poets  Tennyson  pleased  him  best, 
which  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  for  the  influence  of  the  laureate 
was  then  at  its  height. 

Garfield  studied  Latin  and  Greek,  and  took  up  German  as  an 
elective  study.  One  year  at  college  completed  his  classical  stud- 
ies, on  which  he  was  far  advanced  before  he  came  to  Williams. 
German  he  carried  on  successfully  until  he  could  read  Goethe 
and  Schiller  readily,  and  acquired  considerable  fluency  in  the 
conversational  use  of  the  language.  He  entered  with  zeal  into 
the  literary  work  of  the  school,  joined  the  Philologian  Society, 
was  a  vigorous  debater,  and  in  his  last  year  was  one  of  the  edi- 
tors of  The  Williams  Quarterly,  a  college  periodical  of  a  high 
order  of  merit. 

At  the  end  of  the  fall  term  of  1854  came  a  winter  vacation  of 
two  months,  which  Garfield  employed  in  teaching  a  writing- 
school  at  North  Pownal,  Vermont.  He  wrote  a  bold,  handsome, 
legible  hand,  not  at  all  like  that  in  vogue  nowadays  in  the  sys- 
tems taught  in  the  commercial  colleges,  but  a  hand  that  was 
strongly  individual,  and  was  the  envy  of  the  boys  and  girls  who 
tried  to  imitate  it  in  his  Vermont  class.  It  is  said  that  a  year  or 
two  before  Garfield  taught  his  writing-class  in  the  North  Pow- 
nal school-house,  Chester  A.  Arthur  taught  the  district  school 
in  the  same  building. 

At  the  end  of  the  college  year,  in  June,  Garfield  went  back 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  407 

to  Ohio  and  visited  his  mother,  who  was  then  living  *with  a 
daughter  in  Solon.  His  money  was  exhausted,  and  he  had  to 
adopt  one  of  two  plans,  either  to  borrow  enough  to  take  him 
through  to  graduation  at  the  end  of  the  next  year,  or  to  go  to 
teaching  in  order  to  earn  the  money,  and  thus  break  the  con- 
tinuity of  his  college  course.  He  then  hit  upon  the  plan  of 
insuring  his  life,  and  assigning  the  policy  as  security  for  a  loan. 
His  brother  Thomas  undertook  to  furnish  the  funds  in  instal- 
ments, but  becoming  embarrassed  was  not  able  to  do  so,  and  a 
neighbor,  Dr.  Robinson,  assumed  the  obligation.  Garfield  gave 
his  notes  for  the  loan,  and  regarded  the  transaction  as  on  a  fail- 
business  basis,  knowing  that  if  he  lived  he  would  repay  the 
money,  and  that  if  he  died  his  creditor  would  be  secure. 

His  second  winter  vacation  Garfield  spent  in  Poestenkill,  New 
York,  a  country  neighborhood  about  six  miles  from  Troy,  where 
a  Disciple  minister  from  Ohio,  named  Streeter,  was  preaching, 
and  where  he  soon  organized  a  writing-school  to  employ  his 
time  and  bring  him  in  a  little  money.  Occasionally  Garfield 
preached  in  his  friend's  church.  During  a  visit  to  Troy  he 
became  acquainted  with  the  teachers  and  directors  of  the  public 
schools  of  that  city,  and  was  one  day  surprised  by  the  offer  of  a 
position  in  them  at  a  salary  far  beyond  his  expectations  of  what 
he  could  earn  after  his  graduation  and  return  to  Ohio.  It  was 
the  turning-point  in  his  life.  If  he  accepted  he  could  soon  pay 
his  debts,  marry  the  girl  to  whom  he  was  engaged,  and  live  a  life 
of  comfort  in  an  attractive  Eastern  city  ;  but  he  could  not  finish 
his  college  course,  and  he  would  have  to  sever  the  ties  with  his 
friends  in  Ohio  and  with  the  struggling  school  at  Hiram,  to 
which  he  was  deeply  attached.  Had  he  taken  the  position  his 
whole  subsequent  career  would  no  doubt  have  been  different. 

During  his  last  term  at  Williams  he  made  his  first  political 
speech — an  address  before  a  meeting  gathered  in  one  of  the 
class-rooms  to  support  the  nomination  of  John  C.  Fremont. 
Although  he  had  passed  his  majority  nearly  four  years  before, 
he  had  never  voted.  The  old  parties  did  not  interest  him  ;  he 
believed  them  both  corrupted  with  the  sin  of  slavery  ;  but  when 
a  new  party  arose  to  combat  the  designs  of  the  slave  power  it 
enlisted  his  earnest  sympathies.  His  mind  was  free  from  all 
bias  concerning  the  parties  and  statesmen  of  the  past,  and  he 
could  equally  admire  Clay  or  Jackson,  Webster  or  Benton.  He 
is  the  first  man  nominated  for  the  Presidency  whose  political 


408  THE  ASSASSINATION  Off 

convictions  and  activities  began  with  the  birth  of  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  was  graduated  August,  1856,  with  a  class 
honor  established  by  President  Hopkins  and  highly  esteemed  in 
the  college — that  of  metaphysics — reading  an  essay  on  "The 
Seen  and  the  Unseen." 

TEACHER    AND    PREACHER. 

Before  Garfield  graduated  at  Williams  College  the  trustees  of 
the  Hiram  Eclectic  Institute  elected  him  teacher  of  ancient  lan- 
guages, and  the  post  was  ready  for  him  as  soon  as  he  got  back 
to  Ohio.  It  was  not  a  professorship,  because  the  institution  was 
not  a  college,  and  did  not  become  one  until  1869,  long  after  his 
connection  with  it  ceased.  A  year  later,  when  only  twenty-six 
years  old,  he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  school  with  the  title 
of  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Instruction,  the  Board  waiting 
another  year  before  conferring  upon  him  the  full  honors  of  the 
Principalship.  He  continued  to  hold  the  position  of  Principal 
until  he  went  into  the  army  in  1861.  He  was  nominal  Princi- 
pal two  years  longer,  the  Board  hoping  he  would  return  and 
manage  the  school  after  the  war  ended.  When  he  went  to 
Congress  he  was  made  Advising  Principal  and  Lecturer,  and  his 
name  was  borne  upon  the  catalogues  in  this  capacity  until  1864. 

Before  he  went  to  college,  Garfield  had  begun  to  preach  a 
little  in  the  country  churches  around  Hiram,  and  when  he 
returned  he  began  to  fill  the  pulpit  in  the  Disciples'  Church  in 
Hiram  with  considerable  regularity.  In  his  denomination  no 
ordination  is  required  to  become  a  minister.  Any  brother 
having  the  ability  to  discourse  on  religious  topics  to  a  congre- 
gation is  welcomed  to  the  pulpit.  His  fame  as  a  lay  preacher 
extended  throughout  the  counties  of  Portage,  Summit,  Trumbull 
and  Geauga,  and  he  was  often  invited  to  preach  in  the  towns  of 
that  region. 

One  of  his  former  pupils  says  of  his  peculiarities  as  a  teacher : 

"  No  matter  how  old  the  pupils  were,  Garfield  always  called 
us  by  our  first  names,  and  kept  himself  on  the  most  familiar 
terms  with  all.  He  played  with  us  freely,  scuffled  with  us  some- 
times, talked  with  us  in  walking  to  and  fro,  and  we  treated  him 
out  of  the  class-room  just  about  as  we  did  one  another.  Yet  he 
was  a  most  strict  disciplinarian,  and  enforced  the  rules  like  a 
martinet.  He  combined  an  affectionate  and  confiding  manner 
with  respect  for  order  in  a  most  successful  manner.  If  he  wanted 


JAMES  A.   GAEFIELD. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  409 

to  speak  to  a  pupil,  either  for  reproof  or  approbation,  lie  would 
generally  manage  to  get  one  arm  around  him  and  draw  him  close 
up  to  him.  He  had  a  peculiar  way  of  shaking  hands,  too, 
giving  a  twist  to  your  arm  and  drawing  you  right  up  to  him. 
This  sympathetic  manner  has  helped  him  to  advancement. 
When  I  was  janitor  he  used  sometimes  to  stop  me  and  ask  my 
opinion  about  this  and  that,  as  if  seriously  advising  with  me. 
I  can  see  that  my  opinion  could  not  have  been  of  any  value,  and 
that  he  probably  asked  me  partly  to  increase  my  self-respect 
and  partly  to  show  me  that  he  felt  an  interest  in  me.  I 
certainly  was  his  friend  all  the  firmer  for  it." 


ENTRANCE    INTO    POLITICS. 


He  cast  his  first  vote  in  1856  for  John  C.  Fremont,  his  own 
political  career  thus  beginning  with  the  first  national  campaign 
of  the  Republican  party.  Before  leaving  Williams  College  he 
made  a  speech  to  the  students  on  the  question  of  slavery  in  the 
Territories,  and  during  the  fall,  after  he  returned  to  Hiram,  he 
spoke  in  the  Disciples  Church,  in  reply  to  Alphonso  Hart,  of 
Ravenna  ,who  had  delivered  a  Democratic  address  there  a  few 
nights  before.  Then  a  joint  debate  was  arranged  at  Garretsville, 
between  Hart  and  Garfield  which  attracted  a  good  deal  of  local 
attention  and  is  well  remembered  to  this  day  by  the  older  farmers 
of  Portage  County.  This  debate  launched  Garfield  as  a  political 
speaker.  His  reputation  as  a  stump  orator  widened  steadily 
from  that  debate  until  it  embraced  first  the  State  of  Ohio  and 
then  the  nation. 

A  year  after  he  took  charge  of  the  Hiram  school  Garfield 
married  Lucretia  Rudolph,  his  fellow-student  and  pupil  in 
former  years,  to  whom  he  had  engaged  himself  before  fie 
went  to  Williams  College.  Their  love  had  stood  the  test  of 
time  and  absence,  and  now  that  he  had  made  his  place  in  the 
world  and  felt  that  he  could  support  a  family,  there  was  noth- 
ing to  hinder  its  consummation.  -  The  marriage  took  place  at 
the  house  of  the  bride's  parents,  November  11,  1858. 

His  labors  upon  the  stump,  beginning  in  1856,  with  perhaps 
a  score  of  speeches  for  Fremont  and  Dayton  in  country  school- 
houses  and  town-halls  in  the  region  around  Hiram,  were  extended 
in  1857  and  1858  over  a  wider  area  of  territory,  and  in  1859 
he  began  to  speak  at  county  mass-meetings.  His  first  ap- 
pearance at  a  big  meeting  was  at  Akron,  where  his  name  was 
18 


410  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

put  upon  the  bills  below  that  of  Salmon  P.  Chase.  There  the 
young  teacher  met  for  the  first  time  the  great  anti-slavery  leader 
whom  he  had  honored  and  admired  from  his  boyhood,  and  a 
friendship  sprang  up  between  the  two  which  endured  until 
Chase's  death. 

In  January,  1860,  he  went  to  Columbus,  and  took  his  seat  in 
the  State  Senate.  The  campaign  of  1860  made  him  widely 
known  throughout  the  State.  He  found  time  to  read  law 
assiduously  while  he  was  in  the  Legislature.  In  1858  he  made 
up  his  mind  that  his  future  career  should  be  at  the  bar.  He 
therefore  entered  his  name  as  a  law  student  in  the  office  of 
Williamson  and  Riddle,  in  Cleveland,  and  got  from  Mr.  Riddle 
a  list  of  books  to  be  studied.  In  1861  he  applied  to  the  Su- 
preme Court  in  Columbus  for  admission  to  the  bar,  was  ex- 
amined by  a  committee  composed  of  Thomas  M.  Key,  a 
distinguished  lawyer  of  Cincinnati,  and  Robert  Harrison,  after- 
wards a  member  of  the  Supreme  Court  Commission,  and  ad- 
mitted. His  intention  was  to  open  an  office  in  Cleveland,  but 
the  breaking  out  of  the  war  changed  his  plans. 

HIS    RECORD    IN    THE    WAR. 

The  most  complete  and  comprehensive  account  of  General 
Garfield's  military  career  is  found  in  Whitelaw  Reid's  "  Ohio 
in  the  War,"  which  was  written  many  years  before  Garfield's 
nomination  for  the  Presidency.  When  the  time  came,  says  this 
account,  for  appointing  the  officers  for  the  Ohio  troops,  the 
Legislature  was  still  in  session.  Garfield  at  once  avowed  his 
intention  of  entering  the  service.  He  was  offered  the  lieutenant- 
colonelcy  of  the  42d  Ohio  Regiment,  but  it  was  not  until  the  14th 
of  December  that  orders  for  the  field  were  received.  The  regi- 
ment was  then  sent  to  Calettsburg,  Ky.,  and  Garfield,  then  made 
colonel,  was  directed  to  report  in  person  to  General  Buell.  On 
the  17th  of  December  he  assigned  Colonel  Garfield  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  17th  Brigade,  and  ordered  him  to  drive  the  Rebel 
forces  under  Humphrey  Marshall  out  of  Sandy  Valley,  in  East- 
ern Kentucky.  Up  to  this  date  no  active  operations  had  been 
attempted  in  the  great  department  that  lay  south  of  the  Ohio 
River.  The  spell  of  Bull  Run  still  hung  over  our  armies.  Save 
the  campaigns  in  Western  Virginia,  and  the  unfortunate  attack 
by  General  Grant  at  Belmont,  not  a  single  engagement  had 
occurred  over  all  the  region  between  the  Alleghanies  and  the 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  4H 

Mississippi.  General  Buell  was  preparing  to  advance  upon  the 
Rebel  position  at  Bowling  Green,  when  lie  suddenly  found  him- 
self hampered  by  two  co-operating  forces  skilfully  planted 
within  striking  distance  of  his  flank.  General  Zollicoffer  was 
advancing  from  Cumberland  Gap  towards  Mill  Spring ;  and 
Humphrey  Marshall,  moving  down  the  Sandy  Valley,  was  threat- 
ening to  overrun  Eastern  Kentucky.  Till  these  could  be  driven 
back,  an  advance  upon  Bowling  Green  would  be  perilous,  if  not 
actually  impossible.  To  General  George  H.  Thomas,  then  just 
raised  from  his  colonelcy  of  regulars  to  a  brigadier-generalship 
of  volunteers,  was  committed  the  task  of  repulsing  Zollicoffer ; 
to  the  untried  colonel  of  the  raw  42  d  Ohio,  the  task  of  repulsing 
Humphrey  Marshall,  and  on  their  success  the  whole  army  of 
the  department  waited. 

Colonel  Garfield  thus  found  himself,  before  he  had  ever  seen 
a  gun  fired  in  action,  in  command  of  four  regiments  of  infantry, 
and  some  eight  companies  of  cavalry,  charged  with  the  work  of 
driving  out  of  his  native  State  the  officer  reputed  the  ablest  of 
those  not  educated  to  war  whom  Kentucky  had  given  to  the 
Rebellion.  Marshall  had  under  his  command. nearly  5000  men, 
stationed  at  the  village  of  Paintville,  sixty  miles  up  the  Sandy 
Valley.  He  was  expected  by  the  Rebel  authorities  to  advance 
towards  Lexington,  unite  with  Zollicoffer,  and  establish  the  au- 
thority of  the  Provisional  Government  at  the  State  capital. 
These  hopes  were  fed  by  the  recollection  of  his  great  intellectual 
abilities,  and  the  soldierly  reputation  he  had  borne  ever  since 
he  led  the  famous  charge  of  the  Kentucky  Volunteers  at  Buena 
Vista.  But  Garfield  won  the  day.  Marshall  hastily  abandoned 
his  position,  fired  his  camp  equipage  and  stores,  and  began  a 
retreat  which  was  not  ended  till  he  had  reached  Abingdon,  Vir- 
ginia. A  fresh  peril,  however,  now  beset  the  little  force.  An 
unusually  violent  rain-storm  broke  out,  the  mountain  gorges  were 
all  flooded,  and  the  Sandy  rose  to  such  a  height  that  steam 
boatmen  pronounced  it  impossible  to  ascend  the  stream  with 
supplies.  The  troops  were  almost  out  of  rations,  and  the  rough 
mountainous  country  was  incapable  of  supporting  them.  Colonel 
Garfield  had  gone  down  the  river  to  its  mouth.  He  ordered  a 
small  steamer  which  had  been  in  the  Quartermaster's  service  to 
take  on  a  load  of  supplies  and  start  up.  The  captain  declared 
it  was  impossible.  Efforts  were  made  to  get  other  vessels,  but 
without  success. 


412  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

Finally  Colonel  Garfield  ordered  the  captain  and  crew  onboard, 
stationed  a  competent  army  officer  on  deck  to  see  that  the  cap- 
tain did  his  duty,  and  himself  took  the  wheel.  The  captain  still 
protested  that  no  boat  could  possibly  stem  the  raging  current, 
but  Garfield  turned  her  head  up  the  stream  and  began  the  peril- 
ous trip.  The  water  in  the  usually  shallow  river  was  sixty  feet 
deep,  and  the  tree-tops  along  the  bank  were  almost  submerged. 
The  little  vessel  trembled  from  stem  to  stern  at  every  motion 
of  the  engines ;  the  waters  whirled  her  about  as  if  she  were  a 
skiff ;  and  the  utmost  speed  that  steam  could  give  her  was  three 
miles  an  hour.  When  night  fell  the  captain  of  the  boat  begged 
permission  to  tie  up.  To  attempt  ascending  that  flood  in  the 
dark,  he  declared  was  madness.  But  Colonel  Garfield  kept  his 
place  at  the  wheel.  Finally,  in  one  of  the  sudden  bends  of  the 
river,  they  drove,  with  a  full  head  of  steam,  into  the  quicksand 
of  the  bank.  Every  effort  to  back  off  was  in  vain.  Garfield  at 
last  ordered  a  boat  to  be  lowered  to  take  a  line  across  to  the 
opposite  bank.  The  crew  protested  against  venturing  out  in 
the  flood.  The  Colonel  leaped  into  the  boat  himself  and  steered 
it  over.  The  force  of  the  current  carried  them  far  below  the 
point  they  sought  to  reach;  but  they  finally  succeeded  in  mak- 
ing fast  to  a  tree  and  rigging  a  windlass  with  rails  sufficiently 
powerful  to  draw  the  vessel  off  and  get  her  once  more  afloat. 

It  was  on  Saturday  that  the  boat  left  the  mouth  of  the  Sandy. 
All  night,  all  day  Sunday,  and  all  through  Sunday  night  they 
kept  up  their  struggle  with  the  current,  Garfield  leaving  the 
wheel  only  eight  hours  out  of  the  whole  time,  and  that  during 
the  day.  By  9  o'clock  Monday  morning  they  reached  the 
camp,  and  were  received  with  tumultuous  cheering.  Garfield 
himself  could  scarcely  escape  being  borne  to  headquarters  on 
the  shoulders  of  the  delighted  men. 

These  operations  in  the  Sandv  Valley  had  been  conducted 
with  such  energy  and  skill  as  to  receive  the  special  commenda- 
tion of  the  commanding  general  and  of  the  government.  Gen- 
eral Buell  had  been  moved  to  words  of  unwonted  praise.  The 
War  Department  had  conferred  the  grade  of  brigadier-general, 
the  commission  bearing  the  date  of  the  battle  of  Middle  Creek. 
And  the  country,  without  understanding  very  well  the  details  of 
the  campaign — of  which,  indeed,  no  satisfactory  account  was 
published  at  the  time — fully  appreciated  the  satisfactory  result. 
The  discomfiture  of  Humphrey  Marshall  was  a  source  of  special 


PRESIDENT  QAEFIELD.  413 

chagrin  to  the  Rebel  sympathizers  of  Kentucky,  and  of  amaze- 
ment and  admiration  throughout  the  loyal  West,  and  Garfield 
took  rank  in  the  public  estimation  among  the  most  promising  of 
the  younger  volunteer  generals. 

On  his  arrival  at  Louisville,  from  the  Sandy  Valley,  General 
Garfield  found  that  the  Army  of  the  Ohio  was  already  beyond 
Nashville,  on  its  march  to  Grant's  aid  at  Pittsburg  Landing.  He 
hastened  after  it,  reported  to  General  Buell  about  thirty  miles 
south  of  Columbia,  and,  under  his  order,  at  once  assumed  com- 
mand of  the  20th  Brigade,  then  a  part  of  the  division  under 
General  Thomas  J.  Wood.  He  reached  the  field  of  Pittsburg 
Landing  about  1  o'clock  on  the  second  day  of  the  battle,  and 
participated  in  its  closing  scenes. 

The  old  tendency  to  fever  and  ague,  contracted  in  the  days  of  his 
tow-path  service  on  the  Ohio  Canal,  was  now  aggravated  in  the 
malarious  climate  of  the  South,  and  General  Garfield  was  finally 
sent  home  on  sick-leave  about  the  1st  of  August.  Near  the 
same  time  the  Secretary  of  War,  who  seems  at  this  early  day  to 
have  formed  the  high  estimate  of  Garfield  which  he  continued 
to  entertain  throughout  the  war,  sent  orders  to  him  to  proceed 
to  Cumberland  Gap  and  relieve  General  George  W.  Morgan  of 
his  command.  But  when  they  were  received  he  was  too  ill  to 
leave  his  bed.  A  month  later  the  Secretary  ordered  him  to  re- 
port in  person  at  Washington  as  soon  as  his  health  would  per- 
mit. On  his  arrival  it  was  found  that  the  estimate  placed  on 
his  knowledge  of  law,  his  judgment  and  his  loyalty,  had  led 
to  his  selection  as  one  of  the  first  members  of  the  court-martial 
for  the  noted  trial  of  Fitz  John  Porter.  In  the  duties  connected 
with  this  detail  most  of  the  autumn  was  consumed.  Early  in 
January  he  was  ordered  out  to  General  Rosecrans.  From  the 
day  of  his  appointment,  General  Garfield  became  the  intimate 
associate  and  confidential  adviser  of  his  chief.  But  he  did  not 
occupy  so  commanding  a  station  as  to  be  able  to  put  restraint 
upon  him.  From  the  4th  of  January  to  the  24th  of  June,  Gen- 
eral Rosecrans  lay  at  Murfreesboro.  Through  five  months  of 
this  delay  General  Garfield  was  with  him.  The  War  Depart- 
ment demanded  an  advance,  and  when  the  spring  opened  urged  it 
with  unusual  vehemence.  Finally,  General  Rosecrans  formally 
asked  his  corps,  division  and  cavalry  generals  as  to  the  propriety 
of  a  movement.  With  singular  unanimity,  though  for  diverse 
reasons,  they  opposed  it.  Out  of  seventeen  generals  not  one  was 


414  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

in  favor  of  an  immediate  advance,  and  not  one  was  even  will- 
ing to  put  himself  on  record  as  in  favor  of  an  early  advance. 
General  Garfield  collated  the  seventeen  letters  sent  in  from  the 
generals  in  reply  to  the  questions  of  their  commander,  and  fairly 
reported  their  substance,  coupled  with  a  cogent  argument 
against  them  and  in  favor  of  an  immediate  movement.  This 
report  we  venture  to  pronounce  the  ablest  military  document 
known  to  have  been  submitted  by  a  Chief  of  Staff  to  his  supe- 
rior during  the  war.  General  Garfield  stood  absolutely  alone, 
every  general  commanding  troops  having,  as  we  have  seen,  either 
openly  opposed  or  failed  to  approve  an  advance.  But  his 
statements  were  so  clear  and  his  arguments  so  forcible  that  he 
carried  conviction. 

Twelve  days  after  the  reception  of  this  report  the  army 
moved — to  the  great  dissatisfaction  of  its  leading  generals.  One 
of  the  three  corps  commanders,  Major-General  Thomas  L. 
Crittenden,  approached  the  Chief  of  Staff  at  the  headquarters 
on  the  morning  of  the  advance  :  "  It  is  understood,  sir,"  he  said, 
"  by  the  general  officers  of  the  army  that  this  movement  is  your 
work.  I  wish  you  to  understand  that  it  is  a  rash  and  fatal  move, 
for  which  you  will  be  held  responsible."  This  rash  and  fatal 
move  was  the  Tullahoma  campaign — a  campaign  perfect  in  its 
conception,  excellent  in  its  general  execution,  and  only  hindered 
from  resulting  in  the  complete  destruction  of  the  opposing  army 
by  the  delay  which  had  too  long  postponed  its  commencement. 
It  might  even  yet  have  destroyed  Bragg  but  for  the  terrible  sea- 
son of  rains  which  set  in  on  the  morning  of  the  advance  and 
continued  uninterruptedly  for  the  greater  part  of  a  month. 
With  a  week's  earlier  start  it  would  have  ended  the  career  of 
Bragg's  army  in  the  war. 

At  last  came  the  battle  of  Chickamauga.  Such  by  this  time 
had  come  to  be  Garfield's  influence  that  he  was  nearly  always 
consulted  and  often  followed.  He  wrote  every  order  issued  that 
day — one  only  excepted.  This  he  did  rarely  as  an  amanuen- 
sis, but  rather  on  the  suggestions  of  his  own  judgment,  after- 
ward submitting  what  he  had  prepared  to  Rosecrans  for  ap- 
proval or  change.  The  one  order  which  he  did  not  write  was  the 
fatal  order  to  Wood  which  lost  the  battle.  The  meaning  was 
correct;  the  words,  however,  did  not  clearly  represent  what 
Rosecrans  meant,  and  the  division  commander  in  question  so  in- 
terpreted them  as  to  destroy  the  right  wing.  The  General  com- 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  415 

manding  and  his  Chief  of  Staff  were  caught  in  the  tide  of  dis- 
aster and  born  back  towards  Chattanooga.  The  Chief  of  Staff 
was  sent  to  communicate  with  Thomas,  while  the  General  pro- 
ceeded to  prepare  for  the  reception  of  the  routed  army.  Such 
at  least  were  the  statements  of  the  reports,  and,  in  a  technical 
sense,  they  were  true.  It  should  never  be  forgotten,  however, 
in  Garfield's  praise,  that  it  was  on  his  own  earnest  representa- 
tions that  he  was  sent — that,  in  fact,  he  rather  procured  per- 
mission to  go  to  Thomas  and  so  back  into  the  battle,  than 
received  orders  to  do  so.  He  refused  to  believe  that  Thomas 
was  routed  or  the  battle  lost.  He  found  the  road  environed 
with  dangers ;  some  of  his  escort  were  killed,  and  they  all  nar- 
rowly escaped  death  or  capture.  But  he  bore  to  Thomas  the 
first  news  that  officer  had  received  of  the  disaster  on  the  right, 
and  gave  the  information  on  which  he  was  able  to  extricate  his 
command.  At  7  o'clock  that  evening,  under  the  personal  super- 
vison  of  General  Gordon  Granger  and  himself,  a  shotted  salute 
from  a  battery  of  six  Napoleon  guns  was  fired  into  the  woods  after 
the  last  of  the  retreating  assailants.  They  were  the  last  shots  of 
the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  and  what  was  left  of  the  Union 
Army  was  master  of  the  field.  For  the  time  the  enemy 
evidently  regarded  himself  as  repulsed ;  and  Garfield  said  that 
night,  and  has  always  since  maintained,  that  there  was  no  neces- 
sity for  the  immediate  retreat  on  Rossville. 

SERVICE   IN    CONGRESS. 

Practically  this  was  the  close  of  General  Garfield's  military 
career.  A  year  before,  while  he  was  absent  in  the  army,  and 
Avithout  any  solicitation  on  his  part,  he  had  been  elected  to  Con- 
gress from  the  old  Giddings  district,  in  which  he  resided.  He 
was  now,  after  a  few  weeks'  service  with  Rosecrans  at  Chatta- 
nooga, sent  on  to  Washington  as  the  bearer  of  dispatches.  He 
there  learned  of  his  promotion  to  a  major-generalship  of  volun- 
teers, "for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct  at  the  battle  of 
Chickamauga."  He  might  have  retained  this  position  in  the 
army  ;  and  the  military  capacity  he  had  displayed,  the  high  fa- 
vor in  which  he  was  held  by  the  government,  and  the  certainty 
of  his  assignment  to  important  commands,  seemed  to  augur  a 
brilliant  future.  He  was  a  poor  man,  too,  and  the  major-gene' 
ral's  salary  was  more  than  double  that  of  the  Congressman. 
But  on  mature  reflection  he  decided  that  the  circumstances  un 


416  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

der  which  the  people  had  elected  him  to  Congress  bound  him 
up  to  an  effort  to  obey  their  wishes.  He  was  furthermore 
urged  to  enter  Congress  by  the  officers  of  the  army,  who  looked 
to  him  for  aid  in  procuring  such  military  legislation  as  the  country 
and  the  army  required.  Under  the  belief  that  the  path  of  use- 
fulness to  the  country  lay  in  the  direction  in  which  his  constitu- 
ents pointed,  he  sacrificed  what  seemed  to  be  his  personal  inter- 
ests, and  on  the  5th  of  December,  1863,  resigned  his  commission, 
after  nearly  three  years'  service. 

General  Garfield  continued  his  military  service  up  to  the  day 
of  the  meeting  of  Congress.  Even  then  he  seriously  thought  of 
resigning  his  position  as  a  Representative  rather  than  his  major- 
general's  commission,  and  would  have  done  so  had  not  Lincoln 
urged  him  to  enter  Congress.  He  has  often  expressed  regret 
that  he  did  not  fight  the  war  through.  Had  he  done  so  he  would 
no  doubt  have  ranked  at  its  close  among  the  foremost  of  the 
victorious  generals  of  the  Republic,  for  he  displayed  in  his  San- 
dy Valley  campaign  and  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  the  highest 
qualities  of  generalship.  A  brilliant  opening  awaited  him  in  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland.  General  Thomas  wanted  him  to  take 
command  of  a  corps.  President  Lincoln  told  him  he  greatly 
needed  the  influence  in  the  House  of  one  who  had  had  practical 
military  experience  to  push  through  the  needed  war  legislation. 
He  yielded,  and  on  the  5th  of  December,  1863,  gave  up  his  gen- 
eralship and  took  his  seat  in  the  House. 

He  was  appointed  on  the  Military  Committee,  under  the  chair- 
manship of  General  Schenck,  and  was  of  great  service  in  carry- 
ing through  the  measures  which  recruited  the  armies  during  the 
closing  years  of  the  war. 

In  the  summer  of  1864  a  breach  occurred  between  the  Presi- 
dent and  some  of  the  most  radical  of  the  Republican  orders  in 
Congress  over  the  question  of  the  reconstruction  of  the  States  of 
Arkansas  and  Louisiana.  Congress  passed  a  bill  providing  for 
the  organization  of  loyal  governments  within  the  Union  lines  of 
these  States,  but  Lincoln  vetoed  it  and  appointed  military  gov- 
ernors. Senator  Ben  Wade,  of  Ohio,  and  Representative  Henry 
Winter  Davis,  of  Maryland,  united  in  a  letter  to  the  New  York 
Tribune,  sharply  criticising  the  President  for  defeating  the  will 
of  Congress.  This  letter  became  known  as  the  Wade-Davis 
manifesto,  and  created  a  great  sensation  in  political  circles.  The 
story  got  about  in  the  XlXth  District  that  General  Garfield  had 


GARFIEL!>.  417 

expressed  sympathy  with  the  position  of  Wade  and  Davis.  His 
constituents  condemned  the  document,  and  were  strongly  dis- 
posed to  set  him  aside  and  nominate  another  man  for  Congress. 
When  the  convention  met  the  feeling  against  Garfield  was  so 
pronounced  that  he  regarded  his  renomination  as  hopeless.  He 
was  called  upon  to  explain  his  course.  He  went  upon  the  plat- 
form, and  everybody  expected  something  in  the  nature  of  an 
apology,  but  he  boldly  defended  his  position,  approved  the  mani- 
festo, justified  Wade,  and  said  he  had  nothing  to  retract  and 
could  not  change  his  honest  convictions  for  the  sake  of  a  seat 
in  Congress.  He  had  great  respect,  he  said,  for  the  opinions  of 
his  constituents,  but  greater  regard  for  his  own.  If  he  could  serve 
them  as  an  independent  representative,  acting  on  his  own  judg- 
ment and  conscience,  he  would  be  glad  to  do  so,  but  if  not,  he  did 
not  want  their  nomination  ;  he  would  prefer  to  be  an  independent 
private  citizen.  Probably  no  man  ever  talked  in  that  way  before 
or  since  to  a  body  of  men  who  held  his  political  fate  in  their 
hands.  Leaving  the  platform,  he  strode  out  of  the  hall  and 
down  the  stairs,  supposing  that  he  had  effectually  cut  his  own 
throat.  Scarcely  had  he  disappeared  when  one  of  the  youngest 
delegates  sprang  up  and  said :  "  The  man  who  has  the  courage 
to  face  a  convention  like  that  deserves  a  nomination.  I  move 
that  General  Garfield  be  nominated  by  acclamation."  The  mo- 
tion was  carried  with  a  shout  that  reached  the  ears  of  the  Con- 
gressman and  arrested  him  on  the  sidewalk  as  he  was  returning 
to  the  hotel.  He  was  re-elected  by  a  majority  of  over  1^,000. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  XXXfXth  Congress,  in  December, 
J.865,  General  Garfield  asked  Speaker  Coif  ax  to  transfer  him 
from~The  Committee  on  Military  Affairs  to  that  of  Ways  and 
Means,  saying  that  in  the  near  future  financial  questions  would 
occupy  the  attention  of  the  country,  and  he  desired  to  be  in  a 
position  to  study  them  carefully  in  advance.  The  Military 
Committee,  having  on  its  hands  the  work  of  reorganizing  the 
regular  army  on  a  peace  basis,  was  the  more  important  of  the 
two  at  the  time,  but  Garfield  foresaw  the  storm  of  agitation  and 
delusion  concerning  the  debt  and  the  currency  which  was  soon 
to  break  upon  the  country,  and  wisely  prepared  to  meet  it.  He 
began  a  long  and  severe  course  of  study,  ransacking  the  Con- 
gressional Library  for  works  that  threw  light  on  the  experience 
of  other  countries,  and  that  gave  the  ideas  of  the  thinkers  and 
statesmen  of  all  nations  on  these  subjects.  His  membership  of 
18* 


418  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 

the  Ways  and  Means  also  opened  up  a  line  of  congenial  work  in 
connection  with  the  tariff  and  the  system  of  internal  revenue 
taxation.  These  two  sources  of  income,  gauged  to  the  needs  of 
the  war,  had  to  be  changed  to  conform  to  the  conditions  of 
peace.  In  the  course  of  this  work  and  of  the  investigations 
which  accompanied  it,  he  reached  a  conclusion  upon  the  tariff 
question  from  which  he  never  departed — namely,  that  whatever 
may  be  the  truth  or  falsity  of  abstract  theories  about  free  trade, 
the  interests  of  the  United  States  require  a  moderate  protective 
system.  In  March,  1866,  he  made  his  first  speech  on  the  cur- 
rency question,  and  took  strong  ground  in  favor  of  a  speedy  re- 
turn to  specie  payments. 

In  the  summer  of  1867  General  Garfield  went  to  Europe,  and 
made  a  rapid  tour  through  Great  Britain  and  the  Continent. 
His  health  failed  under  the  pressure  of  too  much  brain-work,  and 
he  took  this  means  of  recuperating.  This  was  the  only  year 
since  he  entered  public  life  that  he  had  been  absent  from  a  po- 
litical campaign.  He  returned  late  in  the  fall  to  find  that  Pen- 
dletonism — a  demand  for  the  payment  of  the  bonded  debt  in 
irredeemable  greenback  notes — had  run  rampant  in  Ohio,  and 
had  taken  possession  of  the  Republican  party  as  well  as  of  the 
Democracy.  A  reception  was  given  him  at  Jefferson,  in  his  dis- 
trict, which  assumed  the  form  of  a  public  meeting.  He  was 
told  that  he  had  better  say  nothing  about  his  financial  views,  for 
his  constituents  had  made  up  their  minds  that  the  bonds  ought 
to  be  redeemed  in  greenbacks.  He  made  a  speech  in  which  he 
told  his  friends  plainly  that  they  were  deluded,  that  there  could 
be  no  honest  money  not  redeemable  in  coin,  and  no  honest  pay- 
ment of  the  debt  c  uld  be  made  save  in  coin,  and  that  as  long 
as  he  was  their  representative  he  should  stand  on  that  ground, 
whatever  might  be  their  views.  The  speech  produced  a  deep 
impression  throughout  the  district.  The  next  June  the  Nation- 
al Republican  Convention  took  soiund  ground  upon  the  debt  and 
currency  questions,  and  most  Republicans  who  had  been  carried 
away  by  Pendletonism  grew  ashamed  of  their  folly. 

A  LEADER  IN  FINANCE. 

In  the  XLth  Congress  General  Garfield  was  put  back  upon 
the  Military  Committee  and  made  its  chairman.  In  1868  he 
was  renominated  without  opposition,  and  chosen  a  fourth  time 
to  represent  his  district.  On  the  organization  of  the  XLIst 


PRESIDENT 

Congress,  in  December,  1869,  General  Garfield  was  made  chair- 
man of  the  Committee  on  Banking  and  Currency.  The  infla- 
tion movement  was  rapidly  gathering  force  in  the  country,  and 
men  of  both  parties  in  Congress  were  swept  into  it  by  fear  of 
their  constituents.  A  cry  was  set  up  that  times  were  getting 
hard  because  there  was  not  money  enough  to  do  the  business  of 
the  people.  The  West,  particularly,  clamored  for  more  curren- 
cy. General  Garfield  led  the  opposition  to  inflation.  Finally, 
after  a  long  fight  in  his  committee  with  the  men  who  wanted  to 
throw  out  a  flood  of  new  greenbacks,  he  brought  in  and  carried 
through  Congress  a  bill  allowing  an  addition  of  $54,000,000  to 
the  national-bank  circulation,  and  giving  preference  in  the  as- 
signment of  the  new  issue  to  the  States  which  had  less  than 
their  quota  of  the  old  circulation.  This  measure  was  a  stunning 
blow  to  the  inflation  movement-  The  new  issue  was  not  all 
taken  up  for  four  years,  and  during  all  that  time  it  was  a  sufficient 
answer  to  all  demands  for  "  more  money "  to  call  attention  to 
the  fact  that  there  was  currency  waiting  in  the  Treasury  for  any 
one  who  would  organize  a  bank.  Soon  after  the  $54,000,000 
was  applied  for  national  banking  was  made  perfectly  free.  The 
New  York  gold  panic  came  during  General  Garfield's  chairman- 
ship of  the  Banking  Committee.  Under  orders  of  the  House, 
he  conducted  with  great  sagacity  and  thoroughness  an  investiga- 
tion which  exposed  all  the  secrets  of  the  gold  gamblers'  plot 
which  culminated  in  "  Black  Friday."  He  made  a  report  which 
was  a  complete  history  of  the  affair,  and  the  lesson  he  drew  from 
it  was  that  the  only  certain  remedy  against  the  recurrence  of 
such  transactions  was  to  be  found  in  the  resumption  of  specie 
payments.  He  became  the  recognized  leader  of  the  honest- 
money  party  in  the  House  and  the  most  potent  single  factor  in 
the  opposition  to  inflation.  He  helped  work  up  the  bill  to 
strengthen  the  public  credit,  which  failed  to  get  through  during 
the  closing  days  of  Johnson's  Administration,  but  was  passed  as 
soon  as  Grant  came  in,  and  was  the  first  measure  to  which  the 
new  President  put  his  signature.  This  bill  committed  Congress 
fully  to  the  payment  of  the  public  debt  in  coin,  and  was  the 
fortress  around  which  the  financial  battle  raged  in  subsequent 
years. 

In  December,  1871,  General  Garfield  was  placed  at  the  head 
of  the  important  Committee  on  Appropriations,  a  position  which 
made  him  the  leader  of  the  majority  side  of  the  House.  With 


420  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

his  old  habit  of  doing  everything  he  undertook  with  the  utmost 
thoroughness,  he  made  a  laborious  study  of  the  whole  history  of 
appropriation  bills  in  this  country  and  of  the  English  budget 
system.  He  found  a  great  deal  of  looseness  and  confusion  in 
the  practice  concerning  estimates  and  appropriations.  Unex- 
pended balances  were  lying  in  the  Treasury,  amounting  to 
$130,000,000,  beyond  the  supervision  of  Congress  and  subject 
to  the  drafts  of  government  officers.  There  were  besides  what 
were  called  permanent  appropriations,  which  ran  on  from  year 
to  year  without  any  legislation.  Garfield  instituted  a  sweeping 
reform.  lie  got  laws  passed  covering  all  old  balances  back  into 
the  Treasury,  making  all  appropriations  expire  at  the  end  of  the 
fiscal  year  for  which  made,  unless  needed  to  carry  out  contracts, 
and  covering  in  all  appropriations  at  the  end  of  every  second 
year.  At  the  same  time  he  required  the  Executive  Departments 
to  itemize  their  estimates  of  the  money  needed  to  run  the  Gov- 
ernment much  more  fully  than  had  been  done  before,  so  that 
Congress  could  know  just  how  every  dollar  it  voted  was  to  be 
expended.  The  four  years  of  his  chairmanship  of  Appropria- 
tions were  years  of  close  and  unremitting  labor.  He  worked 
habitually  fifteen  hours  a  day.  In  addition  to  the  demands  of 
his  own  department  of  legislation,  he  took  part  in  all  the  gen- 
eral work  of  the  House,  bore  a  leading  part  in  all  the  debates 
involving  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party,  fought  without 
cessation  a  brave  battle  against  inflation  and  repudiation,  and 
omitted  no  opportunity  to  aid  in  educating  the  public  mind  to 
a  comprehension  of  the  importance  of  returning  to  specie  pay- 
ments. 

Five  times  had  General  Garfield  been  chosen  to  represent  the 
old  Giddings  district  without  serious  opposition  in  his  own  par- 
ty, and  without  a  breath  of  suspicion  being  cast  upon  his  per- 
sonal integrity.  With  one  exception,  all  his  nominations  had 
been  made  by  acclamation.  In  his  sixth  canvass,  however,  a 
storm  of  calumny  broke  upon  him.  A  concerted  attack  was 
made  upon  him  for  the  purpose,  if  possible,  of  defeating  him  in 
the  convention,  and  failing  in  that,  to  beat  him  at  the  polls.  He 
was  charged  with  bribery  and  corruption  in  connection  with  the 
Credit  Mobilier  affair  and  the  De  Golyer  pavement  contract,  and 
with  responsibility  for  the  Salary  Grab.  His  people,  however, 
resented  the  slanders,  and  in  the  convention  he  was  nominated 
by  a  majority  of  three  to  one.  The  opposition  to  him  did  not 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELfi.  421 

bring  forward  a  candidate,  but  merely  cast  blank  votes.  His  ene- 
mies then  nominated  a  second  Republican  candidate.  General 
Garfield  met  the  charges  against  him  before  the  jury  of  his  con- 
stituents. He  visited  all  parts  of  the  district,  speaking  day  and 
night  at  township  meetings.  The  verdict  of  the  election  was  a 
complete  vindication  of  his  character  and  actions,  and  in  1876 
and  1878  his  constituents  nominated  him  by  acclamation  and 
elected  him  by  increased  majorities. 

HEADING  THE  MINORITY. 

The  result  of  the  elections  of  1874  was  to  give  the  Democrats 
control  of  the  House  which  met  in  December,  1875.  Hitherto 
the  legislative  work  of  General  Garfield  had  been  constructive. 
Now  he  was  called  upon  to  defend  this  work  against  the  as- 
saults of  the  party  which  step  by  step  had  opposed  its  accom- 
plishment, and  which  by  the  aid  of  the  solid  support  of  the  late 
rebel  element  had  gained  power  in  Congress.  One  of  the  first 
movements  of  the  Democrats  was  for  universal  amnesty.  Mr. 
Blaine  offered  an  amendment  to  their  bill,  excluding  Jefferson 
Davis.  Then  followed  the  famous  debate  about  the  treatment 
of  prisoners  of  war,  opened  by  Elaine's  dashing  attack  on  Hill, 
continued  by  Hill's  reply  charging  that  Confederates  had  been 
starved  in  Northern  prisons,  and  closing  with  Garfield's  response 
to  Hill.  Garfield,  by  a  brilliant  stroke  of  parliamentary  strategy, 
forced  a  Democrat  to  testify  to  the  falsity  of  Hill's  charge.  He 
said  that  the  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  district,  where  was  located  during 
the  war  the  principal  prison  for  captured  rebels,  was  represented 
in  the  House  by  a  Democrat.  He  did  not  know  him,  but 
he  was  willing  to  rest  his  case  wholly  on  his  testimony.  He 
called  upon  the  member  from  Elmira  to  inform  the  House 
whether  the  good  people  of  his  city  had  permitted  the  cap- 
tured Confederate  soldiers  in  their  midst  to  suffer  for  want 
of  food.  The  gentleman  thus  appealed  to  rose  prompt- 
ly and  said  that  to  his  knowledge  the  prisoners  had  received 
exactly  the  same  rations  as  the  Union  soldiers  guarding  them. 
While  this  statement  was  being  made  a  telegraphic  dispatch 
was  handed  to  General  Garfield.  Holding  it  up,  he  said,  "  The 
lightnings  of  heaven  are  aiding  me  in  this  controversy." 
The  dispatch  was  from  General  Elwell,  of  Cleveland,  who  had 
been  the  quartermaster  at  the  Elmira  Prison,  and  who  tele- 
graphed that  the  rations  issued  to  the  rebel  prisoners  were  in 


422  2!HZ?  ASSASSINATION  OF 

quantity  and  quality  exactly  the  same  as  those  issued  to  then* 
guards.  Garfield's  speech  killed  the  Democrats'  bill.  They 
withdrew  it  rather  than  risk  a  vote.  Mr.  Blaine's  transfer  to 
the  Senate  soon  after  this  debate  left  Garfield  the  recognized 
leader  of  the  Republicans  in  the  House.  Mr.  Kerr,  the  Demo- 
cratic Speaker,  died  in  the  midst  of  his  term,  and  in  the  elec- 
tion for  his  successor  General  Garfield  received  the  unanimous 
Republican  vote.  Soon  after,  in  August,  1876,  came  the  dis- 
pute with  Lamar.  Lamar  was  the  greatest  orator  the  Democrats 
had,  and  was  selected  by  them  to  make  a  key-note  campaign 
speech.  It  was  a  sharp  attack  upon  the  Republican  party,  an 
appeal  for  sympathy  for  the  "  oppressed  South,"  and  an  argu- 
ment to  show  that  peace  and  prosperity  could  come  only  through 
Democratic  rule.  General  Garfield  took  notes  of  the  speech. 
All  his  colleagues  insisted  that  he  alone  was  competent  to  break 
the  force  of  Lamar's  masterly  effort.  This  speech  is  usually  ac- 
counted the  greatest  of  his  life.  It  created  a  furor  in  the  House. 
All  business  was  suspended  for  ten  minutes  after  he  finished,  so 
great  was  the  excitement.  One  hundred  thousand  copies  of  the 
speech  were  subscribed  for  at  once  by  members  who  wanted  to 
circulate  it  in  their  districts,  and  during  the  campaign  over  a 
million  copies  were  distributed.  It  contributed  powerfully  to 
the  success  of  the  Republican  party  in  the  Presidential  campaign 
of  that  year. 

After  the  election  arose  the  dispute  about  the  count  of  the 
votes  of  South  Carolina,  Florida,  and  Louisiana.  President 
Grant  telegraphed  to  General  Garfield,  under  date  of  November 
10,  as  follows :  "  I  would  be  gratified  if  you  would  go  to  New 
Orleans  and  remain  until  the  vote  of  Louisiana  is  counted. 
Governor  Kellogg  requests  that  reliable  witnesses  be  sent  to  see 
that  the  canvass  of  the  vote  is  a  fair  one.  U.  S.  GRANT." 

Garfield  went  to  Washington,  consulted  with  the  President, 
and  then  proceeded  to  New  Orleans,  in  company  with  John 
Sherman,  Stanley  Matthews,  and  a  number  of  other  prominent 
Republicans.  While  on  his  way  back  to  Washington,  returning 
from  New  Orleans,  he  was  again  chosen  by  the  unanimous  vote 
of  the  Republicans  of  the  House  as  their  candidate  for  Speaker. 
.  General  Garfield  opposed  the  Electoral  Commission  bill,  but 
in  spite  of  his  opposition,  when  the  bill  passed  he  was  selected 
as  a  member  of  the  tribunal.  The  Republicans  of  the  House 
were  to  have  two  members.  They  met  in  caucus,  and  were 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  423 

about  to  ballot,  when  Mr.  McCreary,  of  Iowa,  said  that  there 
was  one  name  on  which  they  were  all  agreed,  and  which  need 
not  be  submitted  to  the  formality  of  a  vote — that  of  James  A. 
Garfield.  Garfield  was  chosen  by  acclamation.  The  second 
commissioner  was  George  F.  Hoar,  of  Massachusetts,  who  after- 
ward presided  over  the  Chicago  Convention  which  nominated 
General  Garfield  for  the  Presidency.  As  a  member  of  the  Elec- 
toral Commission  General  Garfield  delivered  two  opinions,  in 
which  he  brought  out  with  great  clearness  the  point  that  the 
Constitution  places  in  the  hands  of  the  legislatures  of  the  States 
the  power  of  determining  how  their  electors  shall  be  chosen,  and 
that  Congress  had  no  right  to  go  behind  the  final  decision  of  a 
State.  If  there  was  nothing  in  the  Constitution  or  laws  of  a  State 
touching  the  matter,  its  legislature  could  appoint  Electors,  as 
Vermont  had  done  after  her  admission  to  the  Union. 

Immediately  after  President  Ilayes's  inauguration  the  Repub- 
licans in  the  Ohio  Legislature  desired  to  elect  General  Garfield 
to  the  United  States  Senate  in  place  of  John  Sherman,  who  had 
?esigned  his  seat  to  enter  the  Cabinet.  Mr.  Hayes  made  a  per- 
oonal  appeal  to  him  to  decline  to  be  a  candidate  and  remain  in 
the  House  to  lead  the  Republicans  in  support  of  the  Administra- 
tion. General  Garfield  acceded,  in  the  belief  that  his  services 
would  be  of  more  value  to  the  party  in  the  House  than  in  the 
Senate,  and  withdrew  his  name  from  the  canvass,  greatly  to  the 
disappointment  of  his  friends  in  Ohio,  who  had  already  obtained 
pledges  of  the  support  of  a  large  majority  of  the  Republican 
members  of  the  Legislature. 

In  the  session  of  18Y8  General  Garfield  led  the  long  struggle 
in  defence  of  the  Resumption  act,  which  was  assailed  by  the 
Democrats  with  a  vigor  born  of  desperation.  He  also  made  a 
remarkable  speech  on  the  tariff  question,  in  opposition  to  Wood's 
bill,  which  sought  to  break  down  the  protective  system.  Dur- 
ing the  extra  session  of  1879,  forced  by  the  Democrats,  for  the 
purpose  of  bringing  the  issue  of  the  repeal  of  the  federal  elec- 
tion laws  prominently  before  the  country,  General  Garfield  led 
the  Republican  minority  with  consummate  tact  and  judgment. 
The  plan  of  the  Democrats  was  to  open  the  debate  with  a  gen- 
eral attack  on  the  Republican  party  in  order  to  throw  their 
adversaries  upon  the  defensive  as  apologists  for  the  course 
of  their  partv.  McMahon,  of  Ohio,  was  selected  to  make 
the  opening  speech.  Garfield  did  not  wait  for  him  to  make  his 


424  FEE  ASSASSINATION  off 

argument,  but  securing  the  floor  ahead  of  him,  delivered  his  fa- 
mous "  Revolution  in  Congress"  speech,  in  which  he  attacked 
the  Democrats  with  such  vigor  and  exposed  with  so  much  force 
their  scheme  for  withholding  appropriations  for  the  support  of 
the  government,  to  compel  the  President  to  sign  their  political 
measures,  that  they  were  thrown  into  confusion,  and  instead  of 
taking  the  offensive  were  obliged  to  resort  to  a  weak  defensive 
campaign.  Driven  from  position  to  position  by  successive  vetoes 
and  by  the  persistent  assaults  of  the  Republican  minority,  they 
ended  with  a  ridiculous  fiasco.  Instead  of  refusing  $45,000,000 
of  appropriations,  as  they  threatened  at  the  beginning,  they 
ended  by  appropriating  $44,600,000  of  the  amount,  leaving 
only  $400,000  unprovided  for.  The  following  winter  the  Demo- 
crats recommenced  the  fight,  but  in  a  feeble,  disheartened  way. 
They  set  out  to  refuse  all  pay  to  the  United  States  marshals  un- 
less the  President  would  let  them  wipe  out  the  election  laws. 
General  Garfield  met  them  with  a  powerful  speech  on  "  Nullifi- 
cation in  Congress,"  in  which  he  showed  that  while  it  was 
clearly  the  foremost  duty  of  the  law-makers  in  Congress  to 
obey  the  Democrats  had  become  leaders  in  an  attempt  to  dis- 
obey them  and  break  them  down.  General  Garfield's  last 
work  in  Congress  was  a  report  on  the  Tucker  Tariff  bill.  In  Jan- 
nary,  1880,  General  Garfield  was  chosen  to  the  Senate  by  the 
Legislature  of  Ohio  for  the  term  of  six  years,  beginning  March 
4,  1881.  He  received  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  Republican 
caucus,  an  honor  never  before  conferred  upon  a  citizen  of  Ohio 
by  any  party. 

HIS    NOMINATION    AS    PRESIDENT. 

Gen.  Garfield  appeared  in  the  Republican  National  Con- 
vention at  Chicago  in  June,  1880,  at  the  head  of  the  Ohio 
delegation  and  as  the  leading"  supporter  of  Secretary  Sherman 
for  the  candidacy.  It  was  evident  from  the  first  that  he  was 
one  of  the  most  popular  men  in  the  assemblage  with  the  lookers- 
on  and  visitors.  He  was  put  upon  the  Committee  on  Rules  and 
Orders  of  Business  and  was  made  its  Chairman.  This  com- 
mittee was  important  on  account  of  the  controversy  regarding 
what  was  known  as  the  unit  rule.  The  report  which  was  sub- 
mitted and  advocated  by  him  abrogated  that  rule,  but  Gen. 
Garfield  appeared  as  a  conciliator  between  the  extremes  of 
opinion  throughout.  He  desired  the  withdrawal  of  Mr.  Conk- 


PRESIDENT  GAEFIELD.  425 

ling's  resolution  which  proposed  virtually  to  expel  the  West 
Virginia  delegates  who  voted  against  his  previous  resolution 
that  all  members  of  the  Convention  would  be  in  duty  bound  to 
support  the  nominee  of  the  Convention,  whoever  he  might  be, 
and  that  no  man  should  retain  his  seat  in  the  Convention  unless 
he  was  ready  to  do  so.  In  his  appeal  in  this  case  he  said  he 
regretted  the  action  of  the  West  Virginia  delegates,  but  thought 
their  explanation  should  be  accepted.  He  would  never  himself 
vote  in  any  convention  against  his  judgment.  In  advocating 
the  report  of  the  Committee  on  Rules,  he  said  that  if  the  unit 
rule  was  adopted  by  the  Convention  he  would  stand  by  it,  but 
he  preferred  a  rule  which  would  allow  individual  liberty, 
because  it  would  be  everlastingly  right.  When  the  time  came 
in  the  protracted  proceedings  for  naming  candidates,  Gen.  Gar- 
field  urged  the  claims  of  Mr.  Sherman  in  an  eloquent  speech, 
which  drew  the  character  of  an  ideal  statesman,  intended  to 
apply  to  his  candidate,  but  generally  accepted  as  more  nearly  a 
portrait  of  himself  or  at  least  of  what  he  thought  a  public  man 
ought  to  be.  In  the  voting  a  single  Pennsylvania  delegate  be- 
gan on  the  third  ballot  to  cast  his  vote  for  Garfield.  It  was 
sometimes  reinforced  by  one  other,  but  only  2  votes  were  cast 
for  him  prior  to  the  thirty-fourth  ballot,  when  to  the  one  from 
Pennsylvania  were  added  16  from  Wisconsin.  Gen.  Garfield 
arose  and  questioned  the  correctness  of  the  vote,  declaring  that 
his  name  was  not  before  the  Convention  and  no  one  had  aright 
to  vote  for  him  without  his  consent.  The  Chairman  ruled  that 
this  was  not  a  point  of  order,  and  on  the  next  ballot,  Indiana 
added  27,  Maryland,  4,  and  Mississippi  and  North  Carolina,  1 
each  to  the  17  previously  given  to  him,  making  50  in  all.  On 
the  next  and  last  ballot  came  the  stampede  which  gave  him  the 
majority,  and  his  unanimous  nomination  was  then  moved  by 
Mr.  Conkling,  who  expressed  the  hope  that  the  same  zeal,  fervor, 
and  unanimity  that  was  shown  in  the  Convention  would  be 
transplanted  to  the  field,  and  that  "  all  of  us  who  have  borne  a 
part  against  each  other  here  will  find  ourselves  with  equal  zeal 
bearing  the  banner  and  carrying  the  lance  of  the  Republican 
party  into  the  ranks  of  the  enemy."  The  motion  was  seconded 
by  Messrs.  Logan,  Beaver,  and  Hale,  on  behalf  of  the  supporters 
of  those  who  had  been  the  leading  candidates  before  the  Con- 
vention. Gen..Garfifi1^  waa  officially  informed  of  bis  nomina-, 
tion  in  Chicago  on  the  night  of  June  9,  by  Senator  Hoar/ 


426  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

Chairman  of  the  Convention,  and  accepted  it  in  a  brief  speech, 
in  which  he  laid  special  stress  on  his  sense  of  the  "  very  heavy 
responsibility"  involved.  Congratulations  came  in  from  all 
quarters,  one  of  the  first  coming  from  President  Hayes.  While 
the  nomination  was  disappointing  to  those  who  had  with  so 
much  zeal  urged  the  claims  of  others,  it  was  generally  accepted 
as  that  most  likely'  to  bring  all  elements  of  the  party  into  har- 
mony. 

AS    A    CANDIDATE. 

Gen.  Garfield  was  greeted  with  enthusiasm  on  his  return  home 
from  the  Convention  and  during  his  subsequent  visit  to  Wash- 
ington, which  occupied  the  latter  part  of  June.  The  canvass 
opened  with  the  meeting  of  the  Republican  National  Com- 
mittee on  the  1st  of  July.  On  the  4th  the  candidate  delivered 
a  touching  address  at  the  dedication  of  a  soldiers'  monument  at 
Painesville,  Ohio.  His  letter  of  acceptance  dated  July  10,  was 
made  public  on  the  13th.  In  some  respects  it  caused  dis- 
appointment, and  it  was  in  this  document  that  he  gave  expres- 
sion to  the  opinion  that  the  President  should  consult  members 
of  Congress  regarding  the  qualifications  of  persons  to  be 
apppinted  to  office.  On  the  6th  of  August  a  conference  of 
Republican  leaders  was  held,  and  Gen.  Garfield  was  present. 
The  candidate  returned  to  his  home  shortly  after  the  con- 
ference, in  which  he  took  no  formal  part,  although  he  privately 
met  the  leading  managers  and  workers  of  the  party.  On  the 
25th  of  August  he  attended  a  reunion  of  his  old  regiment 
at  Cleveland,  delivering  one  of  those  happy  addresses  which 
on  such  occasions  came  so  easy  to  him.  Aside  from  attend- 
ing the  Northern  Ohio  Fair  at  Cleveland,  on  the  9th  of 
September,  he  spent  most  of  the  remaining  interval  before 
the  election  at  his  home  in  Mentor,  receiving  many  visit- 
ors, singly  or  in  delegations,  and  being  overwhelmed  with 
correspondence.  A  noteworthy  incident  was  the  visit  of  Gen. 
Grant  and  Mr.  Conkling  on  the  29th  of  September,  the  former 
having  presided  and  the  latter  spoken  at  a  grand  rally  at  War- 
ren on  the  previous  day.  It  has  been  said  that  Mr.  Conkling's 
activity  in  the  campaign  began  after  that  interview,  but  his 
speech  at  the  Academy  of  Music,  in  New  York,  was  delivered  on 
the  17th,  and  in  the  interval  he  had  been  quite  active  in 
Indiana  and  Ohio.  The  candidate  exhibited  a  constant  desire 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  427 

to  promote  harmony  and  a  cordial  co-operation  among  all  the 
leaders  of  the  party.  He  appeared  anxious  that  his  nomination 
should  heal  all  differences.  Late  in  October  he  was  annoyed  by 
the  forged  "  Chinese  letter,"  which  he  promptly  denounced  in  a 
letter  to  Chairman  Jewell,  of  the  National  Committee,  on  the 
23d  of  that  month. 

AFTER    THE    ELECTION. 

After  the  election  in  November  he  continued  to  reside  as 
before  at  Mentor,  visited  by  politicians  and  others,  though  the 
last  week  of  that  month  was  occupied  with  a  visit  to  Washing- 
ton on  private  business.  While  at  the  capital  he  received  many 
attentions,  among  them  those  of  a  delegation  of  civil  service 
reformers,  who  delivered  to  him  a  paper  setting  forth  their 
views  of  his  coming  duty  in  making  appointments.  In  his 
reply  he  expressed  the  hope  that  he  should  have  the  co-opera- 
tion of  Congress  in  establishing  all  routine  appointments  on  a 
secure  basis,  so  that  no  removals  could  be  made  without  cause. 
Before  he  left  Washington  there  seemed  to  be  an  understanding 
that  Mr.  Elaine  was  to  have  the  first  place  in  his  Cabinet,  and 
that  Secretary  Sherman  preferred  not  to  continue  in  his  posi- 
tion. From  that  time  on  to  March  there  was  constant  specula- 
tion as  to  the  formation  of  the  Cabinet.  Mentor  was  constantly 
visited  by  advising  politicians,  seekers  for  office,  and  seekers  for 
information.  Many  of  the  leading  men  of  the  Republican 
party  went  there  on  invitation  of  the  President-elect,  whcK* 
seemed  to  be  anxious  to  obtain  their  counsel  and  to  satisfy  their 
views,  so  far  as  they  could  be  reconciled  with  each  other.  His 
chief  thought  appeared  to  be  for  harmony  in  the  party  and  a 
successful  administration  resting  on  its  united  support.  Among 
those  summoned  to  his  home  to  consult  with  him  were  Mr. 
Sherman,  Mr.  Elaine,  Mr.  Conkling,  Judge  Folger,  and  others. 
Gen.  Garfield  took  leave  of  his  friends  and  neighbors  on  the 
last  day  of  February  and  set  out  for  the  arduous  position  that 
awaited  him  with  an  evident  feeling  of  solemnity  and  sadness. 
He  arrived  in  Washington  on  the  1st  of  March,  and  speculation 
continued  regarding  his  Cabinet,  but  he  kept  his  own  counsel, 
so  far  as  the  public  was  concerned,  until  after  the  inauguration. 

AS    PRESIDENT. 

The  President  was  inaugurated  with  an  unwonted  amount  of 
display  and  arnid  general  rejoicing  and  good  wishes.     His  in- 


428  TEE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

augural  address  was  regarded  as  foreshadowing  a  firm  and 
vigorous  administration,  a  conscientious  regard  for  the  best  in- 
terests of  all  sections,  and  a  determination  to  promote  harmony 
and  good- will.  Ou  the  day  following  the  inauguration  the 
Cabinet  was  announced  and  gave  general  satisfaction.  There 
has  been  little  to  test  the  quality  of  the  President  except  the 
incidents  springing  from  the  exercise  of  the  appointing  power. 
Since  he  took  office  there  had  been  no  session  of  Congress  for 
legislation.  The  Senate  was  in  session  until  the  20th  of  May, 
but  its  time  was  chiefly  occupied  in  wrangling  over  the  election 
of  its  officers.  The  question  of  calling  an  extra  session  was 
wisely  decided  in  the  negative,  the  plea  for  extending  the  matur- 
ing bonds  of  the  government  at  a  lower  rate  of  interest  having 
been  hit  upon.  In  exercising  the  appointing  power  the  Presi- 
dent did  not  uniformly  satisfy  his  sincerest  friends.  The  re- 
newal of  the  nomination  of  Stanley  Matthews  for  the  Supreme 
Bench  was  deeply  regretted  by  many  of  these,  and  attributed 
to  some  understanding  with  President  Hayes.  The  chief  inci- 
dent of  political  interest  had  been  the  break  with  Mr.  Conkling 
which  had  occupied  much  attention.  On  the  22d  of  March 
the  President  sent  a  number  of  nominations  for  office  to  the 
Senate,  including  those  for  District  Attorneys  and  Marshals  in 
this  State  and  for  the  Collectorship  at  Buffalo.  These  were  pre- 
sumed to  be  in  all  respects  acceptable  to  the  Senators  of  New 
York.  On  the  following  day  several  other  nominations  were 
sent  in,  including  those  of  William  H.  Robertson  for  Collector 
of  New  York,  Edwin  A.  Merritt  for  Consul-General  at  London, 
and  William  E.  Chandler  for  Solicitor-General.  It  was  known 
that  Mr.  Robertson's  appointment  would  be  displeasing  to  Sen- 
ator Conkling,  but  the  President  was  quoted  as  declaring  that 
he  regarded  the  office  as  one  of  national  and  not  local  rank,  and 
that  he  had  no  wish  or  intention  to  slight  the  New  York  Sen- 
ators. Owing  to  the  dead-lock  in  the  Senate  over  the  election 
of  its  officers,  no  executive  sessions  were  held  until  May  4.  It 
then  appeared  that  Senator  Conkling  was  determined  to  antag- 
onize to  the  utmost  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Robertson,  on  the 
ground  that  he  had  a  right  to  be  consulted  and  that  no  appoint- 
ment displeasing  to  him  should  have  been  made.  On  the  5th 
of  May  the  President  withdrew  all  the  other  New  York  nomina- 
tions with  the  evident  purpose  of  compelling  a  separate  con- 
sideration of  that  for  the  New  York  Collectorship.  It  soon  be- 


PRESIDENT  GAEFIELD.  429 

came  apparent  that  this  could  not  be  defeated  by  the  New  York 
Senators,  and  on  the  16th  of  May  they  both  resigned.  Mr. 
Robertson  was  shortly  after  confirmed,  the  other  nominations 
were  renewed,  except  that  changes  were  made  in  the  Marshal- 
ship  of  this  district  and  the  Collectorship  of  Buffalo,  and  the 
political  fight  was  transferred  to  Albany,  where  the  President 
has  had  no  part  in  it.  Further  than  this  the  administration 
and  the  recent  life  of  the  President  has  been  uneventful,  though 
his  sympathy  with,  and  support  for,  those  engaged  in  exposing 
and  punishing  the  Star  Route  frauds  should  be  recognized. 

Upon  those  who  ever  saw  him,  President  Garfield  made  a 
commanding  impression,  his  height  being  six  feet,  his  shoulders 
broad,  and  his  frame  strong.  The  head  appeared  unusually 
large  and  the  forehead  remarkably  high.  Blue  was  seen  to  be 
the  color  of  the  eyes  and  light  brown  that  of  the  hair.  In  all 
things  he  has  been  temperate. 

HIS    HOME    AND    FAMILY    LIFE. 

The  first  years  of  General  Garfield's  married  life  were  passed 
in  Hiram,  boarding  with  families  of  friends,  and  it  was  not 
until  he  went  to  the  war  that  he  saved  money  enough  to  buy  a 
home.  In  1862  he  purchased  a  small  frame  cottage  facing  the 
college  green,  paying  for  it  $800.  About  $1000  more  was  spent 
in  enlarging  it  by  a  wing  and  fitting  it  up.  The  rooms  were 
small  and  the  ceilings  low,  as  was  the  fashion  in  village  houses 
of  moderate  pretensions,  but  the  young  housewife  soon  made 
the  place  cosy  and  homelike.  This  was  the  only  home  of  the 
family  for  many  years.  While  in  Washington  they  lived  in 
apartments.  The  lack  of  a  settled  home  at  the  Capital,  where 
the  children  could  grow  up  amid  wholesome  influences,  was 
seriously  felt  early  in  General  Garfield's  Congressional  career, 
but  it  was  not  until  he  had  been  three  times  elected  that  he  be- 
gan to  regard  that  career  as  likely  to  continue  for  an  indefinite 
period,  and  sought  the  means  of  escaping  from  the  disagreeable 
features  of  hotel  and  boarding-house  life.  He  bought  a  lot  on 
the  corner  of  Thirteenth  and  I  streets,  facing  Franklin  Square, 
and  with  money  loaned  him  by  an  old  array  friend  put  up  a 
plain,  square,  substantial  brick  house,  big  enough  to  hold  his 
family  and  two  or  three  guests.  As  the  boys  grew  older,  how- 
ever, and  needed  more  range  for  their  activities  than  a  city 
house  could  afford,  the  desire  to  own  a  farm  which  he  had 


430  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

always  felt  increased  upon  him.  When  he  had  paid  off  the 
mortgage  on  his  house  and  had  a  little  money  ahead,  he  thought 
he  could  safely  gratify  his  desire,  and  after  a  good  deal  of 
thought  about  localities,  decided  to  settle  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Lake  Shore  Railroad  on  one  of  the  handsome  productive  ridges 
that  run  parallel  to  Lake  Erie.  A  farm  of  160  acres  was  bought 
in  the  town  of  Mentor,  Lake  County,  a  mile  from  a  railway  and 
telegraph  station,  and  half  a  mile  from  a  post-office.  The  build- 
ings consisted  of  a  tumble-down  barn  and  an  ancient  farm-house 
a  story  and  a  half  high ;  but  the  land  was  fertile,  the  summer 
climate,  tempered  by  breezes  from  the  neighboring  lake,  was 
delightful,  and  the  people  in  the  vicinity  were  of  the  best  class 
of  farmers  to  be  found  in  Ohio.  Here  the  General  revived  all 
the  farming  skill  of  his  boyhood  days,  holding  the  plough  or 
loading  the  hay  wagon  or  driving  the  ox  team.  Drainage,  fenc- 
ing, and  other  improvements  absorbed  all  the  money  the  place 
brought  in,  and  the  time  spent  upon  it  was  highly  enjoyed  by 
all  the  members  of  the  household,  and  every  winter  they  looked 
forward  to  the  adjournment  of  Congress  and  their  release  from 
Washington  with  pleasant  anticipations. 

General  Garfield  has  had  seven  children,  and  five  are  living. 
The  oldest,  Mary,  died  when  he  was  in  the  army,  and  the  young- 
est, Edward,  died  in  Washington  about  four  years  ago.  Of  the 
surviving  children,  the  oldest,  Harry,  is  fifteen  ;  after  him  come 
James,  Molly,  Irwin  (named  after  General  McDowell)  and 
Abram.  Harry  and  James  are  preparing  for  college  at  St. 
Paul's  school,  in  Concord,  New  Hampshire.  Harry  is  the  mu- 
sician of  the  family  and  plays  the  piano  well.  James,  who  more 
resembles  his  father,  is  the  mathematician.  Molly,  a  handsome 
girl  of  thirteen,  is  ruddy,  sweet-tempered,  vivacious,  and  blessed 
with  perfect  health.  The  younger  boys  are  still  in  the  period 
of  boisterous  animal  life.  All  the  children  have  quick  brains 
and  are  strongly  individualized.  All  learned  to  read  young 
except  Abe,  who,  hearing  that  his  father  had  years  ago  said,  in 
a  lecture  on  education,  that  no  child  of  his  should  be  forced  to 
read  until  he  was  seven  years  old,  took  refuge  behind  the 
parental  theory  and  declined  to  learn  his  letters  until  he  had 
reached  that  age. 

The  manner  of  life  in  the  Garfield  household,  whether  in 
Washington  or  on  the  Mentor  farm,  was  simple  and  quiet.  The 
long  table  was  bountifully  supplied  with  plainly-cooked  food, 


PRESIDENT  QARFIELD.  431 

and  there  was  always  room  for  any  guest  who  might  drop  in 
at  meal-time.  No  alcoholic  drinks  were  used.  There  was  no 
effort  at  following  fashions  in  furniture  or  table  service.  No 
carriage  was  kept  in  Washington,  but  on  the  farm  there  were 
vehicles  of  various  sorts  and  two  teams  of  stout  horses.  Com- 
fort, neatness,  and  order  prevailed,  without  the  least  attempt  at 
keeping  up  with  styles  of  dress  and  living,  or  any  desire  to  sac- 
rifice the  healthful  regularity  of  household  customs,  adopted  be- 
fore the  General  won  fame  and  position,  to  the  artificial  usages 
of  what  is  called  good  society. 

Of  study  in  the  ancient  languages  and  in  history,  in  spite  of 
a  most  active  life,  he  has  been  extremely  fond,  and  the  house 
in  Washington  is  stored  with  a  handsome  collection  of  books. 
In  classical  scholarship,  it  is  doubtful  if  there  have  been  many 
men  in  public  life  in  his  time  who  could  have  equalled  him  if 
put  to  the  test. 


THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 


THE   NEW   PKESIDENT. 


SKETCH   OF  THE   LIFE   OF   CHESTER  ALAN   ARTHUR. 

CHESTER  ALAN  ARTHUR,  the  son  of  an  Irishman  named  William 
Arthur,  was  born  in  Fairfield,  Vt.,  on  the  5th  of  October,  1830. 
After  the  customary  New  England  schooling  he  entered  Union 
College,  in  Schenectady,  in  1845,  and  was  graduated  high  up 
on  the  list  four  years  later.  Like  bis  predecessor,  Mr.  Arthur 
supported  himself  while  in  college,  and  served  his  apprentice- 
ship in  the  humble  enclosure  of  a  country  school-house.  After 
two  years  in  a  law  school  and  a  brief  service  as  principal  of  the 
North  Pownal  Academy,  in  Vermont,  Mr.  Arthur  came  to  New 
York  and  entered  the  law  firm  of  Culver,  Paisten  &  Arthur, 
after  which,  and  until  1865,  he  was  associated  here  with  Mr. 
Henry  D.  Gardner.  The  law  career  of  Mr.  Arthur  includes 
some  notable  cases.  One  of  his  first  cases  was  the  celebrated 
Lemmon  suit.  In  1852  Jonathan  and  Juliet  Lemmon,  Virginia 
slaveholders,  intending  to  emigrate  to  Texas,  came  to  New  York 
to  await  the  sailing  of  a  steamer,  bringing  eight  slaves  with 
them.  A  writ  of  habeas  corpus  was  obtained  from  Judge  Paine 
to  test  the  question  whether  the  provisions  of  the  Fugitive 
Slave  Law  were  in  force  in  that  State.  Judge  Paine  rendered  a 
decision  holding  that  they  were  not,  and  ordering  the  Lemmon 
slaves  to  be  liberated.  Henry  L.  Clinton  was  one  of  the  coun- 
sel for  the  slaveholders.  A  howl  of  rage  went  up  from  the  South, 
and  the  Virginia  Legislature  authorized  the  Attorney-General  of 
that  State  to  assist  in  taking  an  appeal.  William  M.  Evarts 
and  Chester  A.  Arthur  were  employed  to  represent  the  people, 
and  they  won  their  case,  which  then  went  to  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  United  States.  Charles  O'Conor  here  espoused  the  cause 
of  the  slaveholders,  but  he,  too,  was  beaten  by  Messrs.  Evarts 
and  Arthur,  and  a  long  step  was  taken  towards  the  emancipa- 
tion of  the  black  race.  Following  this  came  the  street  car  dis- 
courtesies, which  Mr.  Arthur  put  a  stop  to  in  a  legal  and  defini- 
tive way.  On  the  Sixth  Avenue  and  one  or  two  other  lines, 


CHESTER  A.   ARTHUR. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  433 

conveyances  labelled  "  Colored  persons  allowed  in  this  car"  were 
run  at  long  intervals,  but  on  the  Fourth  Avenue  and  other  east 
side  lines  not  even  this  provision  was  made.  Under  these  cir- 
cumstances Lizzie  Jennings,  a  respectable  colored  woman,  neatly 
dressed,  cleanly  and  of  good  appearance,  the  superintendent  of 
a  colored  Sunday-school,  hailed  a  Fourth  Avenue  car  and  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  a  seat  in  it.  The  conductor  took  her  fare, 
thereby  tacitly  admitting  her  right  to  be  a  passenger,  but  hardly 
had  he  done  so  when  a  drunken  white  ruffian,  who  was  seated 

in  the  car,  demanded,  "  Are  you  going  to  let  that 

nigger  ride  in  this  car  ?" 

"  Oh,  I  guess  it  won't  make  any  difference,"  said  the  con- 
ductor. 

"  Yes,  but  it  will,"  replied  the  other ;  "  I  have  paid  my  fare 
and  I  want  a  decent  ride,  and  I  tell  you  you've  got  to  put  her 
out." 

Thus  appealed  to  the  conductor  went  to  the  colored  woman 
and  asked  her  to  leave  the  car.  She  refused  to  do  so.  The 
car  was  stopped.  The  conductor  attempted  to  eject  her  by 
force.  She  resisted  bravely,  crying  all  the  time,  "  I  have  paid 
my  fare  and  I  am  entitled  to  ride." 

Her  dress  was  almost  torn  from  her  back.  Strong  men  stood 
by  but  gave  her  no  assistance.  Still  she  fought  bravely  for 
what  she  believed  to  be  her  right.  The  conductor  could  not 
eject  her,  and  was  compelled  to  call  for  the  aid  of  the  police. 
By  their  efforts  the  woman  was  dragged  from  the  car. 

The  matter  coming  to  the  notice  of  a  number  of  influential 
colored  people  they  desired  to  make  it  a  test  case,  and  applied 
to  Mr.  Arthur  for  advice.  He  at  once  espoused  their  cause  and 
took  their  case  before  Justice  Rockwell,  in  Brooklyn.  When 
the  trial  came  on  the  court  room  was  crowded  almost  to  suffo- 
cation, and  at  one  time  serious  trouble  was  threatened  by  those 
who  believed  that  to  seek  justice  for  one  of  the  black  race  was 
to  do  injustice  to  humanity. 

Even  the  Judge  seemed  to  share  this  opinion,  for  when  the 
attorney  handed  him  the  papers  in  the  case  he  threw  them  upon 
the  desk,  with  the  exclamation, 

"  Pshaw  !  do  you  ask  me  to  try  a  case  against  a  corporation 
for  the  tort  [the  wrongful  act]  of  its  agent  ?" 

In  reply  to  this  Mr.  Arthur  plainly  pointed  out  a  portion  of 
the  Revised  Statutes  under  which  there  was  an  undoubted  right 
19 


434  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

of  action.  After  examining  it  the  Court  concurred  cordially 
with  the  counsel,  the  case  was  tried,  and,  much  to  the  delight 
of  the  colored  people,  a  verdict  of  $500  was  rendered  in  favor 
of  the  plaintiff.  The  railroad  company  paid  the  judgment 
without  further  contest,  and  at  once  issued  orders  that  there- 
after colored  people  be  allowed  to  ride  upon  its  cars.  Similar 
action  was  soon  after  taken  by  all  the  city  railroad  companies. 
At  this  there  was  great  rejoicing  among  all  the  negroes  in  New 
York,  the  Colored  People's  Legal  Rights  Association  was  estab- 
lished, and  for  many  years  afterward  with  much  ceremony  cele- 
brated the  anniversary  of  the  trial  which  resulted  as  described. 

ARTHUR    IN   THE    WAR. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  Governor  Morgan  appointed  Mr. 
Arthur  engineer-in-chief,  then  inspector-general,  and  in  January, 
1862,  quartermaster-general.  No  higher  encomium  can  be 
passed  upon  him  than  the  mention  of  the  fact  that,  although  the 
war  account  of  the  State  of  New  York  was  at  least  ten  times 
larger  than  that  of  any  other  State,  yet  it  was  the  first  audited 
and  allowed  in  Washington,  and  without  the  deduction  of  a 
single  dollar,  while  the  quartermasters'  accounts  from  other 
States  were  reduced  from  $1,000,000  to  $10,000,000.  During 
his  incumbency  every  present  sent  to  him  was  immediately  re- 
turned. Among  others  a  prominent  clothing  house  offered  him 
a  magnificent  uniform,  and  a  printing  house  proffered  a  costly 
saddle  and  trappings.  Both  gifts  were  indignantly  rejected. 
When  he  became  quartermaster  he  was  poor.  When  his  term 
expired  he  was  poorer  still.  He  had  opportunities  to  make  mil- 
lions unquestioned.  Contracts  larger  than  the  world  had  ever 
seen  were  at  his  disposal.  He  had  to  provide  for  the  clothing, 
arming  and  transportation  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  men. 
So  jealous  was  he  of  his  integrity  that  contracts  where  he  could 
have  made  thousands  of  dollars  legitimately  were  refused,  on  the 
ground  that  he  was  a  public  officer  and  meant  to  be,  like  Caesar's 
wife,  above  suspicion.  His  own  words  in  regard  to  this  amply 
illustrate  his  character :  "  If  I  misappropriated  a  cent  and  in 
walking  down  town  saw  two  men  talking  on  the  corner  together 
I  would  imagine  that  they  were  talking  of  my  dishonesty,  and 
the  very  thought  would  drive  me  mad."  In  July,  1862,  he  was 
invited  to  be  present  at  a  secret  meeting  of  the  loyal  governors, 
held  in  New  York,  for  discussing  measures  to  provide  troops  to 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  435 

carry  on  the  war.  He  was  the  only  person  present  who  was 
not  a  governor,  but  his  counsel  and  advice  were  none  the  less 
heeded  on  that  account.  Everything  at  that  time  was  topsy- 
turvy and  everybody  upside  down.  One  of  the  best  illustra- 
tions of  the  lack  of  management,  the  haphazard  fashion  of  trans- 
acting important  State  business,  which  prevailed  during  the 
early  days  of  the  war,  is  to  be  found  in  the  manner  in  which 
the  Ellsworth  Zouaves  were  equipped  and  left  New  York.  The 
regiment  in  question  was  made  up  of  men  who  prided  them- 
selves upon  their  strength,  drill  and  daring.  It  was,  so  to  speak, 
an  army  unto  itself,  and  under  the  independent  system  of  or- 
ganization already  explained,  comprised  not  only  a  full  comple- 
ment of  infantry  companies,  but  also  a  battery  of  light  artillery 
and  a  troop  of  cavalry.  All  the  infantry  companies  were  not 
only  armed  differently,  as  they  desired,  but  they  contained,  in 
some  cases,  120  men,  or  fifty  more  than  was,  at  the  time,  the 
regulation  complement.  So  armed,  about  one  thousand  three 
hundred  men  in  all,  they  were  on  their  way  down  Broadway, 
after  having  received,  amid  great  enthusiasm,  a  stand  of  colors, 
when  orders  were  received  through  General  Arthur  from  the 
War  Department  at  Washington  to  the  effect  that  the  regiment 
could  not  be  mustered  into  the  service  or  leave  the  city  until  it 
had  reduced  and  equalized  its  companies. 

In  pursuance  of  this  command  General  Arthur,  acting  as 
quartermaster-general,  issued  instructions  countermanding  his 
original  order  for  furnishing  the  troops  with  supplies  while  en 
route  from  New  York  to  the  South.  The  officers  of  the  regi- 
ment, however,  paid  no  attention  to  the  order  from  Washington 
further  than  to  beg  General  Wool,  the  United  States  command- 
ant, to  rescind  it.  To  their  petition  was  added  that  of  many 
influential  citizens  and  ladies.  General  Wool  gave  the  neces- 
sary permission,  the  regiment  marched  on  board  the  troop  ship, 
and  it  steamed  down  the  harbor. 

Of  this  occurrence  the  Quartermaster-General  was  not  in- 
formed for  nearly  an  hour  after  the  sailing  of  the  ship ;  then 
an  officer  came  into  his  headquarters  and  said  casually, 

"  Well,  the  Firemen  Zouaves  have  got  off  at  last." 

"  Got  off  !"  cried  Arthur,  in  astonishment ;  "  that's  not  possi- 
ble. Orders  have  been  received  from  Washington  forbidding 
them  to  leave,  and  there  is  not  a  pound  of  provisions  of  any 
•ort  on  the  troop  ship." 


436  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

This  was  only  too  true.  The  regiment  had  actually  put  to 
sea  without  food  sufficient  for  one  man  for  a  day.  But  the 
Quartermaster-General  was  equal  to  the  emergency.  In  fifteen 
minutes  he  put  himself  in  communication  with  an  extensive 
contractor,  made  him  an  allowance  of  fifteen  cents  extra  for 
each  ration,  and  ordered  him  to  hire  every  tug  he  could  lay 
hands  on,  secure  rations  for  1300  men  for  five  days,  and  hurry 
down  the  bay  after  the  transport.  This  was  done,  and  the  troop 
ship,  the  officers  of  which  had  discovered  the  condition  of  their 
larder,  having  stopped  on  the  way,  was  overtaken  at  the  Nar- 
rows. The  supplies  were  put  on  board  and  the  same  night  the 
regiment  was  at  last  "  off  for  the  seat  of  war." 

In  the  present  days  of  peace  and  prosperity  very  few  people 
realize  that  the  city  of  New  York  in  the  spring  of  1862  was 
threatened  with  total  destruction.  One  Sunday  morning  during 
the  period  in  question  General  Gustavus  Loomis,  who  was  then 
the  oldest  infantry  officer  in  the  United  States  regular  service, 
flushed  and  out  of  breath,  hurried  into  the  Inspector-General's 
office,  then  occupied  by  Chester  A.  Arthur.  For  a  moment  he 
was  unable  to  speak,  and  Arthur,  offering  him  a  chair,  asked  : 

"  What  in  the  world  has  happened,  General  ?" 

"  The  rebel  ram  Merrimac  !  the  rebel  ram  Merrimac  !"  inco- 
herently gasped  the  other. 

"Well,  what  about  her?" 

"  I  have  a  dispatch  from  General  McClellan  that  she  has  sunk 
two  United  States  ships — that  she  is  coming  to  New  York  to 
shell  the  city — may  be  expected  at  any  moment — I  am  so  out 
of  breath  running  to  tell  you  the  news  I  can  hardly  speak." 

"  Running  to  tell  me  the  news !"  exclaimed  Arthur.  "  Why 
in  heaven  didn't  you  hire  a  carriage  ?" 

"  Hire  a  carriage  !"  replied  the  old  army  officer,  lifting  his 
hands  in  amazement;  "hire  a  carriage  !  why,  that  would  cost 
me  $2.50.  I  can't  afford  to  spend  so  much  out  of  my  own 
pocket,  and  if  I  made  such  an  expenditure  on  account  of  the 
government  it  would  take  all  the  rest  of  my  official  life  to 
explain  why  I  did  so." 

There  was  very  much  more  truth  than  poetry  in  the  latter 
part  of  General  Loomis's  remark.  In  those  early  days  of  the 
war  it  is  a  matter  of  record  that  an  expenditure  of  $2.50  by 
an  army  officer  for  an  irregular  purpose,  of  no  matter  what 
character,  and  involving  no  matter  what  moraefltous  results, 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  437 

would  have  furnished  months  of  employment  to  half  a  dozen 
clerks  in  the  War  Department. 

The  State  officers  were  not  so  bound  by  red  tape,  and  when, 
in  addition  to  his  first  communication,  General  Loomis  informed 
General  Arthur  that  McClellan  had  ordered  him  to  place  his 
shore  batteries  in  position,  and  send  vessels  to  the  Lower  Bay 
to  watch  for  the  appearance  of  the  enemy,  the  latter  lost  no 
time  in  sending  dozens  of  messengers  in  carriages  in  all  direc- 
tions to  see  that  the  order  was  carried  out. 

Unfortunately,  however,  prompt  action  on  the  part  of  the 
Inspector-General  availed  but  little,  for  it  was  soon  discovered 
that  New  York,  for  all  practical  purposes,  was  absolutely 
defenceless  against  such  a  naval  monster  as  the  Merrimac.  The 
"shore  batteries"  spoken  of  by  General  McClellan  in  his 
dispatch  did  not  exist.  There  were  no  heavy  cannon  in  posi- 
tion on  the  so-called  fortifications,  and  nearly  all  the  cannon  in 
the  defences  at  the  Narrows  were  marked  "  Shell  guns,"  indi- 
cating that  they  could  not  be  used  to  throw  solid  shot,  and,  as 
Loomis  assured  the  Inspector-General,  even  for  these  guns  there 
were  not  two  rounds  of  powder  in  the  harbor  magazines.  To 
remedy  this  alarming  condition  of  things  General  Arthur  set 
to  work  with  every  possible  energy.  All  the  available  militia 
companies  were  put  into  the  harbor  forts,  and  a  powder 
schooner  arriving  providentially  from  Connecticut,  ample  ammu- 
nition was  soon  served  out.  Luckily,  as  the  event  proved,  all 
these  precautions  were  unnecessary,  for  a  few  hours  after  the 
arrival  of  the  first  alarming  news — news  which  never  reached 
the  general  public,  which  on  that  bright  spring  Sunday  was 
represented  by  crowds  of  well-dressed  people  on  the  principal 
avenues — General  Arthur  received  a  dispatch  from  General 
McClellan  telling  him  that  the  Merrimac  had  been  sunk  by  the 
Monitor,  and  that  the  danger  to  New  York  was  passed. 

At  the  end  of  Governor  Morgan's  term  General  Arthur  re- 
turned to  his  law  practice,  and  lucrative  business  soon  poured 
in.  Much  of  this  work  consisted  in  the  collection  of  war  claims 
and  the  drafting  of  important  bills  for  speedy  legislation.  He 
was  also  counsel  to  the  Tax  Commission,  with  a  salary  of  $10,000. 
In  1871  he  formed  the  firm  of  Arthur,  Phelps,  Knevals  &  Ran- 


438  T&R  ASSASSINATION  Of 


IN    POLITICS. 

It  was  in  the  year  1856  that  Mr.  Arthur  began  to  be  prom- 
inent in  politics  in  New  York  City.  He  sympathized  with  the 
Whig  party,  and  was  an  ardent  admirer  of  Henry  Clay.  His 
first  vote  was  cast  in  1852  for  Winfield  Scott  for  President.  In 
New  York  City  Arthur  identified  himself  with  the  "  practical 
men"  in  politics  by  joining  political  associations  of  his  party, 
and  at  the  polls  acting  as  inspector  on  election  day.  The  in- 
spectors were  then  elected  each  year,  and  prominent  citizens 
were  willing  to  serve. 

General  Arthur  was  a  delegate  to  the  convention  at  Saratoga 
that  founded  the  Republican  party.  During  these  political 
labors  he  became  acquainted  with  Edwin  D.  Morgan  and  gained 
his  ardent  friendship.  Governor  Morgan,  when  re-elected  in 
1860,  testified  to  his  high  esteem  of  Arthur  by  making  him 
Engineer-in-Chief  on  his  staff.  Mr.  Arthur  had  for  several  years 
previously  taken  a  great  interest  in  the  militia  organization  of 
the  State,  and  had  been  appointed  Judge-Advocate-General  of 
the  Second  Brigade.  In  this  position  he  was  associated  with 
many  men  who  afterward  took  part  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion 
and  held  high  positions.  Brigadier-General  Yates,  who  com- 
manded the  Second  Brigade,  was  a  very  thorough  disciplinarian, 
and  for  several  years  required  all  the  brigade  and  staff  officers 
to  meet  every  week  for  instruction.  In  this  manner  they  be- 
came very  proficient  in  military  tactics  on  regulations,  and  the 
instruction  proved  to  be  of  inestimable  advantage  to  General 
Arthur  in  the  responsible  duties  to  which  he  was  afterward 
called.  In  1861  he  was  advanced  to  the  position  of  Quarter- 
master-General, which  he  held  until  the  expiration  of  Morgan's 
term  of  office. 

INSPECTOR-GENERAL. 

In  February,  1862,  Arthur  was  appointed  Inspector-General, 
there  being  duty  to  perform  with  the  armies  in  the  field.  In 
May,  1862,  he  went  to  Fredericksburg  and  inspected  the  New 
York  troops  under  the  command  of  General  McDowell.  He 
then  went  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  lying  near  Chickahom- 
iny,  and  "there  carefully  inspected  the  New  York  troops.  In 
June  of  the  same  year  the  affairs  of  the  country  looked  desper- 
ate. There  had  been  defeats,  regiments  were  getting  thinned 


PRESIDENT  OARFIELD.  439 

out,  and  it  was  evident  a  great  -levy  would  have  to  be  made. 
Governor  Morgan  telegraphed  General  Arthur  to  return  to  New 
York.  He  did  so,  and  was  immediately  requested  to  act  as  sec- 
retary at  a  secret  meeting  of  the  governors  of  loyal  States,  held 
at  the  Astor' House  on  June  28,  1862.  At  this  meeting  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  was  requested  by  the  governors  to  call  for  more 
men.  President  Lincoln,  on  July  1,  issued  a  proclamation 
thanking  the  governors  for  their  patriotism  and  calling  for 
300,000  volunteers  and  300,000  militia  for  nine  months'  service. 
Private  knowledge  that  such  a  call  was  to  be  issued  would  have 
enabled  contractors  to  have  made  millions.  The  secret  was  kept 
by  all,  however,  till  the  proclamation  was  issued.  The  quota  of 
New  York  under  the  call  for  300,000  volunteers  was  59,705.  It 
was  desired  that  these  sixty  regiments  should  be  recruited  and 
got  to  the  seat  of  war  at  the  earliest  possible  moment.  In  view 
of  the  fact  that  the  greater  part  of  the  labor  would  fall  upon  the 
Quartermaster's  Department,  the  request  was  made  by  Governor 
Morgan  to  Mr.  Arthur  that  he  should  take  his  old  post.  He 
complied,  and  on  July  7,  1862,  again  became  Quartermaster- 
General  and  set  energetically  to  work.  He  devised  a  new  sys- 
tem for  enlisting  and  caring  for  the  troops,  which  was  found  to 
work  very  successfully.  He  established  a  camp  in  each  one  of 
the  thirty-two  senatorial  districts  of  the  State.  The  incoming 
of  a  Democratic  State  administration  deprived  him  of  his  office 
in  December,  1863. 

COLLECTOR    OF    CUSTOMS. 

Upon  his  retirement  from  office  General  Arthur  resumed  the 
active  duties  of  his  profession.  His  partnership  with  Mr.  Gard- 
ner ceased  only  with  that  gentleman's  death  in  1866.  Alone 
for  over  five  years  he  carried  on  his  law  practice.  It  then  be- 
came so  large  that  he  formed  in  1871  the  now  well  known  firm 
of  Arthur,  Phelps,  Knevals  <fe  Ransom.  He  became  counsel  to 
the  Department  of  Taxes  and  Assessment,  at  a  salary  of  $10,000 
yearly,  but  abruptly  resigned  the  position  when  the  Tammany 
Hall  officials  at  the  head  of  the  New  York  departments  attempt- 
ed to  coerce  the  Republicans  connected  with  those  departments. 
Gradually  he  was  drawn  into  political  life  again.  He  was  very 
much  interested  in  promoting  the  first  election  of  President 
Grant,  being  chairman  of  the  Central  Grant  Club  of  New  York. 
He  also  served  as  chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the 


440  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

Republican  State  Committee  -of  New  York.  He  re-entered 
official  life  on  November  20,  1871,  being  appointed  Collector  of 
the  Port  of  New  York  by  President  Grant.  So  satisfactory  was 
his  work  that  upon  the  close  of  his  term  of  office  in  December, 
1875,  he  was  renominated  by  President  Grant.  The  nomina- 
tion was  unanimously  confirmed  by  the  Senate  without  referring 
it  to  a  committee — a  compliment  never  given  before  except  to 
ex-senators.  He  was  removed  by  President  Hayes  on  July  12, 
1878,  despite  the  fact  that  two  special  committees  made  search- 
ing investigation  into  his  administration,  and  both  reported 
themselves  unable  to  find  anything  upon  which  to  base  a  charge 
against  him.  In  their  pronunciamentos  announcing  the  change, 
both  President  Hayes  and  Secretary  Sherman  bore  official  wit- 
ness to  the  purity  of  his  acts  while  in  office.  A  petition  for  his 
retention  was  signed  by  every  judge  of  every  court  in  the  city, 
by  all  the  prominent  members  of  the  bar,  and  by  nearly  every 
importing  merchant  in  the  collection  district,  but  this  General 
Arthur  himself  suppressed. 

VICE-PRESIDENT. 

General  Arthur  then  re-engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion as  a  partner  in  the  law  firm  of  Arthur,  Phelps,  Knevals  & 
Ransom.  In  the  fall  of  1879  he  was  elected  Chairman  of  the 
Republican  State  Committee,  of  which  he  had  been  a  prominent 
member  for  many  years  before  his  appointment  as  Collector, 
and  conducted  the  victorious  campaign  of  that  year,  which 
ended  in  the  election  of  all  but  one  of  the  candidates  of  the 
Republican  party  for  six  State  offices.  In  June,  1880,  he  was 
nominated  for  Vice-President  by  the  National  Republican  Con- 
vention, held  at  Chicago ;  General  Stewart  L.  Woodford  pro- 
posed his  name  in  the  Convention,  and  the  nomination  was 
seconded  by  ex-Governor  Dennison,  of  Ohio;  General  Kilpat- 
rick,  of  New  Jersey ;  Emery  A.  Storrs,  of  Illinois ;  John  Cessna, 
of  Pennsylvania ;  Chauncey  L.  Filley,  of  Missouri,  and  many 
others.  He  was  elected  in  November  and  took  the  oath  of 
office  on  the  4th  of  March  last. 

His  bearing,  as  presiding  officer  of  the  Senate,  produced  a 
pronounced  impression,  and  during  the  exciting  scenes  that 
followed  the  dignity  of  his  manner  and  the  fairness  of  his  rulings 
won  him  the  regard  and  admiration  of  the  entire  body.  As  a 
devoted  friend  of  Senator  Conkling  General  Arthur  took  great 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  441 

interest  and  an  active  part  in  the  senatorial  contest  in  Albany, 
and  it  was  at  the  close  of  a  peculiarly  taxing  week  of  work  in 
his  friend's  interest  that  he  was  informed  of  the  deplorable  event 
that  opened  the  door  to  his  own  promotion. 

General  Arthur  was  married  in  1859  to  Ellen  Lewis  Herndon, 
of  Fredericksburg,  Ya.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Captain  William 
Lewis  Herndon,  U.  S.  K,  who  in  1851-2  gained  world-wide 
fame  as  commander  of  the  naval  expedition  sent  by  the  United 
States  to  explore  the  river  Amazon.  The  heroic  death  of  Cap- 
tain Herndon,  while  in  command  of  the  United  States  mail 
steamship  Central  America,  some  twenty  years  ago,  is  still  fresh 
in  the  memory  of  many,  and  was  one  of  the  noble  deeds  of 
which  the  American  navy  will  always  be  proud.  Mrs.  Arthur 
died  suddenly  in  the  early  part  of  January,  1880,  leaving  two 
children — Chester  Alan  Arthur,  and  Ellen  Herndon  Arthur. 

On  the  death  of  the  President  the  following  telegram  was 
sent  to  him,  requesting  him  to  take  the  oath  of  office  as  Presi- 
dent: 

"LoNa  BRANCH,  September  19,  12  a.m. 
"  To  Hon.  Chester  A.  Arthur  : 

"  It  becomes  our  painful  duty  to  inform  you  of  the  death 
of  President  Garfield,  and  to  advise  you  to  take  the  oath  of 
office  as  President  of  the  United  States  without  delay.  If  it 
concur  with  your  judgment,  we  will  be  very  glad  if  you  will 
come  here  on  the  earliest  train  to-morrow  morning. 

"  WILLIAM  WINDOM,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury, 

"  WILLIAM  H.  HUNT,  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 

"  THOMAS  L.  JAMES,  Postmaster-General, 

"  WAYNE  MACVEAGH,  Attorney-General, 

"  L.  J.  KIRKWOOD,  Secretary  of  the  Interior." 

GENERAL  ARTHUR'S  REPLY. 

The  following  response  from  General  Arthur  was  received  by 
Attorney-General  MacVeagh  in  answer  to  the  above  dispatch 
announcing  the  death  of  the  President : 

"  I  have  your  telegram,  and  the  intelligence  fills  me  with  pro- 
found sorrow.  Express  to  Mrs.  Garfield  my  deepest  sympathy. 

"  C.  A.  ARTHUR."  * 

In  accordance  with  the  desire  of  the  Cabinet  officers  Vice- 
President  Arthur  took  steps  to  be  sworn  in  as  President  at  once 
19* 


442  THE  ASSASSINATION  Of 

— and  at  1  o'clock  in  the  morning  District-Attorney  Rollins, 
Police  Commissioner  French  and  Mr.  Elihu  Root  left  President 
Arthur's  residence  in  Lexington  Avenue,  New  York,  and  pro- 
ceeded up  that  street.  At  2  o'clock  Mr.  Rollins  and  Mr.  Root 
returned  in  a  carriage  in  company  with  Judge  John  R.  Brady. 
The  gentlemen  were  at  once  admitted,  and  Colonel  J.  C.  Reed, 
the  private  secretary  of  General  Arthur,  appeared  shortly  after- 
ward. 

About  half  an  hour  later  Commissioner  French  arrived  at  the 
house  with  Judge  Donohue. 

THE    OATH    ADMINISTERED. 

The  entire  party  proceeded  to  General  Arthur's  front  parlor, 
where  the  new  President  was  found.  Judge  Brady  greeted  the 
General  very  warmly,  and  after  a  short  conversation,  the  Judge 
took  from  a  table  near  by  a  book  containing  the  oath  of  fealty 
to  the  government,  and  administered  it  to  the  successor  of  Gen- 
eral Garfield  as  follows  : 

"  I  do  solemnly  swear  that  I  will  faithfully  execute  the  office 
of  President  of  the  United  States ;  and  will,  to  the  best  of  my 
ability,  preserve,  protect  and  defend  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States." 

OVERCOME    BY    EMOTION. 

In  the  room  at  the  time  were  Judge  Donohue,  Commissioner 
French,  Elihu  Root  and  Colonel  Reed.  The  ceremony  was  sim- 
ple, but  not  impressive.  President  Arthur's  manly  form  tow- 
ered above  all,  and  he  was  evidently  deeply  affected.  Several 
times  he  left  the  room,  being  unable  to  control  his  emotion. 
Judge  Brady  and  Judge  Donohue  were  also  almost  overcome 
by  sympathy  with  both  the  deceased  and  living  Presidents. 

The  room  in  which  the  new  President  took  the  oath  of  office 
is  shelved  with  books.  In  the  centre  is  a  table,  and  the  carpet 
is  rich  and  dark.  Paintings  by  old  Italian  masters,  in  Floren- 
tine frames,  adorn  the  walls,  and  a  bust  of  Henry  Clay  is  in  the 
i-orner,  nearest  one  of  the  windows.  The  furniture  is  covered 
with  white  cretonne,  and  easy  chairs  and  sofas  abound. 

Immediately  after  taking  the  oath  President  Arthur  sank 
into  one  of  the  chairs  in  the  room  and  buried  his  face  in  his 
hands.  He  was  thoroughly  overcome. 


PRESIDENT  QARFIELD.  443 

After  a  few  minutes  he  arose  and  went  up  to  the  second 
floor,  and  the  visitors  departed  at  about  3  a.m. 

*   THE  INAUGURATION  OF  PRESIDENT  ARTHUR  AT  WASHINGTON. 

On  the  22d  day  of  September,  at  noon,  there  was  a  quiet  and 
impressive  scene  in  the  Capitol,  when  President  Arthur  again 
took  the  oath  of  office  and  delivered  a  short  inaugural  address. 
The  President  had  arisen  at  7  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  after 
breakfast  had  received  many  callers.  Among  these  were  all 
the  members  of  the  Cabinet  and  several  senators  and  repre- 
sentatives. The  house  in  which  the  President  is  staying  is  near 
the  Capitol  and  directly  south  of  it.  Only  one  street  and  the 
Capitol  grounds  lie  between  the  dead  Chief  Magistrate  and  his 
living  successor.  The  arrangements  for  the  second  taking  of 
the  oath  had  been  very  quietly  made,  and  Sergeant-at-Arms 
Bright,  of  the  Senate,  had  been  directed  to  put  in  order  the 
Vice-President's  room,  which  is  just  in  the  rear  of  the  Senate 
Chamber.  Members  of  the  Cabinet,  senators,  members  of  the 
House  of  Representatives,  and  a  few  other  prominent  persons 
had  been  invited  to  attend.  A  few  minutes  before  12  o'clock 
the  President  left  Senator  Jones's  house,  accompanied  by  ex- 
President  Grant,  Senator  Jones,  and  several  members  of  the 
Cabinet,  and  was  taken  in  a  carriage  to  the  basement  entrance 
of  the  Senate  wing  of  the  Capitol  on  the  east  side.  The  corri- 
dors leading  to  the  foot  of  the  private  staircase  reserved  for  the 
use  of  senators  were  deserted,  having  been  cleared  of  all  per- 
sons who  had  not  been  invited  to  witness  the  ceremony.  The 
President  and  his  companions  proceeded  to  the  Vice-President's 
room,  and  in  a  few  minutes  they  were  followed  by  others  who 
had  been  invited.  First  came  Secretary  Windom  and  Secretary 
Lincoln  and  several  members  of  the  House.  Secretary  Elaine 
and  Gen.  Sherman  in  full  uniform  were  then  admitted.  The 
next  to  come  was  ex-President  Hayes,  who  was  followed  at 
12.10  o'clock  by  Chief- Justice  Waite,  in  his  judicial  robes,  and 
Associate-Justices  Harlan  and  Matthews.  The  Clerk  of  the 
Supreme  Court  brought  in  a  small  Bible,  which  he  placed  on  a 
table  in  the  centre  of  the  room.  Those  who  were  present  were 
standing  in  little  groups  silently  awaiting  the  ceremony. 

Very  soon  after  his  arrival,  Chief-Justice  Waite  advanced  to 
the  side  of  the  President,  and  the  spectators  formed  in  a  circle 
around  the  table  near  which  the  President  stood.  The  Chief- 


444  1HH  ASSASSINATION  OF 

Justice  raised  the  Bible  from  the  table,  opened  it,  and  passed 
it  to  the  President,  who  placed  his  right  hand  upon  the  printed 
page.  The  Chief-Justice  then  slowly  administered  the  oathj 
with  his  eyes  upon  the  face  of  the  President,  who  kissed  the 
book  and  responded,  "  I  will,  so  help  me  God."  Near  the 
President  stood  ex-President  Grant,  looking  down,  with  his 
hands  clasped  behind  him.  At  one  side  were  Secretary  Elaine 
and  Justice  Harlan,  Attorney-General  MacVeagh,  and  Secretary 
Lincoln.  Facing  the  President,  on  his  right  was  ex-President 
Hayes,  and  further  away  stood  Senator  John  Sherman,  with 
bowed  head.  On  the  other  side  were  Senators  Edmunds,  Hale, 
Blair,  Dawes,  and  Anthony,  and  Representatives  Amos  Town- 
send,  McCook,  Errett,  Hiscock,  and  Thomas,  ex-Senator  Hamlin, 
Speaker  Randall,  and  others.  Speaker  Sharpe  and  Col.  George 
Bliss  of  New  York,  were  also  present. 

As  soon  as  the  oath  had  been  administered  the  Chief-Justice 
retired  from  the  table  and  took  a  place  in  the  circle  of  specta- 
tors. The  President  then  drew  from  the  inner  pocket  of  his 
coat  a  roll  of  manuscript  and  read  the  following  address : 

For  the  fourth  time  in  the  history  of  the  Republic  its  Chief 
Magistrate  has  been  removed  by  death.  All  hearts  are  filled 
with  grief  and  horror  at  the  hideous  crime  which  has  darkened 
our  land,  and  the  memory  of  the  murdered  President,  his  pro- 
tracted sufferings,  his  unyielding  fortitude,  the  example  and 
achievements  of  his  life  and  the  pathos  of  his  death  will  forever 
illumine  the  pages  of  our  history.  For  the  fourth  time  the 
officer  elected  by  the  people  and  ordained  by  the  Constitution 
to  fill  a  vacancy  so  created  is  called  to  assume  the  Executive 
chair.  The  wisdom  of  our  fathers,  foreseeing  even  the  most 
dire  possibilities,  made  sure  that  the  government  should  never 
be  imperilled  because  of  the  uncertainty  of  human  life.  Men 
may  die,  but  the  fabric  of  our  free  institutions  remains  un- 
shaken. No  higher  or  more  assuring  proof  could  exist  of  the 
strength  and  permanence  of  popular  government  than  the  fact 
that,  though  the  chosen  of  the  people  be  struck  down,  his  consti- 
tutional successor  is  peacefully  installed  without  shock  or  strain, 
except  the  sorrow  which  mourns  the  bereavement.  All  the 
noble  aspirations  of  my  lamented  predecessor  which  found 
expression  in  his  life,  the  measure  devised  and  suggested  during 
his  brief  administration  to  correct  abuses  and  enforce  economy, 
to  advance  prosperity  and  promote  the  general  welfare,  to  en- 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  445 

sure  domestic  security  and  maintain  friendly  and  honorable 
relations  with  the  nations  of  the  earth,  will  be  garnered  in  the 
hearts  of  the  people,  and  it  will  be  my  earnest  endeavor  to  profit 
and  to  see  that  the  nation  shall  profit  by  his  example  and  ex- 
perience. Prosperity  blesses  our  country ;  our  fiscal  policy  as 
fixed  by  law  is  well  grounded  and  generally  approved ;  no 
threatening  issue  mars  our  foreign  intercourse,  and  the  wisdom, 
integrity  and  thrift  of  our  people  may  be  trusted  to  continue 
undisturbed  the  present  assured  career  of  peace,  tranquillity, 
and  welfare.  The  gloom  and  anxiety  which  have  enshrouded 
the  country  must  make  repose  especially  welcome  now.  No 
demand  for  speedy  legislation  has  been  heard ;  no  adequate  oc- 
casion is  apparent  for  an  unusual  session  of  Congress.  The  Con- 
stitution defines  the  functions  and  powers  of  the  Executive  as 
clearly  as  those  of  either  of  the  other  two  departments  of  the 
government,  and  he  must  answer  for  the  just  exercise  of  the 
discretion  it  permits  and  the  performance  of  the  duties  it  im- 
poses. Summoned  to  these  high  duties  and  responsibilities, 
and  profoundly  conscious  of  their  magnitude  and  gravity,  I  as- 
sume the  trust  imposed  by  the  Constitution,  relying  for  aid  on 
Divine  guidance  and  the  virtue,  patriotism,  and  intelligence  of 
the  American  people. 

At  times  his  voice  trembled,  but  his  manner  was  dignified 
and  impressive,  and  when  he  referred  to  the  administration  of 
his  predecessor  and  his  intention  to  profit  by  his  example,  he 
raised  his  eyes  from  the  manuscript  and  spoke  directly  to  his 
hearers.  While  he  was  reading  many  eyes  were  moistened  with 
tears.  The  first  to  take  the  President  by  the  hand  after  the 
ceremony  and  express  sympathy  and  a  wish  that  he  might  be 
successful  was  the  Chief-Justice ;  the  next  was  Secretary  Elaine, 
and  the  third  was  ex-President  Hayes.  Ex-President  Grant 
was  one  of  the  last.  The  remaining  members  of  the  Cabinet 
and  the  representatives  came  up  in  the  order  in  which  they  had 
been  standing.  Then  the  two  ex-Presidents  quietly  left  the 
room  and  walked  towards  the  rotunda.  At  first  they  had  some 
difficulty  in  passing  the  guard,  but  as  soon  as  they  were  recog- 
nized they  were  admitted.  They  then  passed  up  to  the  cata- 
falque, looked  at  the  face  of  their  unfortunate  successor,  and 
soon  afterward  departed  from  the  Capitol. 

A  few  minutes  after  the  delivery  of  the  President's  address 
the  room  was  closed  to  all  except  members  of  the  Cabinet,  who 


446  T3M  ASSASSINATION  OF   - 

then  held  a  conference  with  the  President.  At  this  conference 
a  proclamation  was  prepared  and  signed  by  the  President, 
designating  a  day  of  fasting,  humiliation,  and  prayer  through- 
out the  country,  in  the  following  words : 

By  the  President  of  the  United  States  of  America  : 

A  PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas,  In  his  inscrutable  wisdom  it  has  pleased  God  to 
remove  from  us  the  illustrious  head  of  the  nation,  James  A. 
Garfield,  late  President  of  the  United  States,  and, 

Whereas,  It  is  fitting  that  the  deep  grief  which  fills  all  hearts 
should  manifest  itself  with  one  accord  toward  the  throne  of 
infinite  grace,  and  that  we  should  bow  before  the  Almighty  and 
seek  from  him  that  consolation  in  our  affliction  and  that  sancti- 
fication  of  our  loss  which  he  is  able  and  willing  to  vouchsafe, 

Now,  therefore,  in  obedience  to  sacred  duty,  and  in  accord- 
ance with  the  desire  of  the  people,  I,  Chester  A.  Arthur,  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  of  America,  do  hereby  appoint  Mon- 
day next,  the  twenty-sixth  day  of  September — on  which  day 
the  remains  of  our  honored  and  beloved  dead  will  be  consigned 
to  their  last  resting-place  on  earth — to  be  observed  throughout 
the  United  States  as  a  day  of  humiliation  and  mourning ;  and  I 
earnestly  recommend  all  the  people  to  assemble  on  that  day  in 
their  respective  places  of  divine  worship,  there  to  render  alike 
their  tribute  of  sorrowful  submission  to  the  will  of  Almighty 
God,  and  of  reverence  and  love  for  the  memory  and  character 
of  our  late  Chief  Magistrate.  In  witness  whereof  I  have  here- 
unto set  my  hand  and  caused  the  seal  of  the  United  States  to  be 
affixed. 

Done  at  the  city  of  Washington  the  22d  day  of  September, 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1881,  and  of  the  independence  of  the 
United  States  the  one  hundred  and  sixth. 

(Signed)  CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR. 

By  the  President. 

JAMES  G.  ELAINE,  Secretary  of  State. 


PRESIDED?  GARFIELD.  447 


ASSASSINATION  OF  LINCOLN. 


THE  shooting  of  President  Garfield  naturally  recalls  the  assas 
sination  of  President  Abraham  Lincoln.  It  will  be  interesting, 
therefore,  to  recite  the  scenes  attending  that  event. 

It  was  on  the  evening  of  Friday,  April  14,  1865,  that  Presi- 
dent and  Mrs.  Lincoln,  with  Miss  Mary  Harris  and  Major  Rath- 
bun,  of  Albany,  son-in-law  of  Senator  Harris,  visited  Ford's 
Theatre,  at  Washington,  for  the  purpose  of  witnessing  "The 
American  Cousin,"  which  was  running  at  the  theatre.  The  fact 
that  this  distinguished  party  was  to  be  present  at  the  perform- 
ance had  been  duly  announced  in  all  the  local  papers,  and  the 
theatre  was  densely  crowded.  The  Presidential  party  occupied 
a  box  on  the  second  tier.  The  scene  was  a  brilliant  one,  and  all 
went  merrily  with  the  audience  and  actors  alike  until  the  close 
of  the  third  act,  when  the  sharp  report  of  a  pistol  was  heard, 
and  an  instant  afterwards  a  man  was  seen  to  spring  from  the 
President's  box  to  the  stage,  where,  striking  a  tragic  attitude  and 
brandishing  a  long  dagger  in  his  right  hand,  he  cried  out,  "  Sic 
semper  tyrannis!"  and  then,  amid  the  bewilderment  of  the 
audience,  rushed  through  the  opposite  side  of  the  stage  and 
made  his  escape  from  the  rear  of  the  theatre.  The  screams  of 
Mrs.  Lincoln  told  the  audience  but  too  plainly  that  the  President 
had  been  shot.  All  present  rose  to  their  feet,  and  the  excite- 
ment was  of  the  wildest  possible  description.  A  rush  was  made 
to  the  President's  box,  where,  on  a  hasty  examination  being 
made,  it  was  found  he  was  shot  through  the  head.  The  Presi- 
dent was  quickly  removed  to  a  private  house  opposite  the  thea- 
tre, where,  on  further  examination,  his  wound  was  pronounced 
to  be  mortal.  This  tragic  occurrence  of  course  immediately  put 
a  stop  to  the  performance  and  the  theatre  was  closed  as  quickly 
as  possible.  The  assassin,  in  his  hurried  flight,  dropped  his  hat 
and  a  spur  on  the  stage.  The  hat  was  identified  as  belonging  to 
J.  Wilkes  Booth,  a  prominent  actor,  and  the  spur  was  recognized 
us  one  obtained  by  him  at  a  stable  on  that  day.  One  or  two  of 


448  TUE  ASSASSINATION  01* 

the  actors  and  members  of  the  orchestra  declared  that  the  assas- 
sin was  no  other  than  Wilkes  Booth,  and  the  evidence  almost 
momentarily  accumulating  fixed  him  beyond  a  doubt  as  the 
author  of  the  bloody  tragedy.  Almost  before  the  audience  had 
left  the  theatre  it  was  known  that  the  assassin,  after  he  got  out, 
made  his  escape  on  horseback. 


SECRETARY    SEWARD  8    ESCAPE. 

The  news  of  this  hideous  tragedy  spread  like  wildfire,  and  the 
greatest  excitement  prevailed  throughout  the  city,  dense  throngs 
of  persons  congregating  in  the  locality  of  the  house  where  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  was  lying.  While  the  general  excitement  was  at 
its  wildest  height,  it  became  known  that  an  attempt  had  been 
made  to  assassinate  Mr.  Seward,  Secretary  of  State.  At  about 
ten  o'clock  a  man  called  at  the  Secretary's  house,  stating  that  he 
had  been  sent  by  the  family  physician  with  a  prescription  for 
the  Secretary,  who  was  sick,  at  the  same  time  stating  that  he 
must  see  him  personally,  as  he  was  instructed  to  give  particular 
directions  concerning  the  medicine.  He  pushed  his  way  past 
the  servant,  who  had  told  him  Secretary  Seward  could  not  be 
seen,  and  rushed  up  stairs  to  Mr.  Seward's  room,  where  he 
was  met  by  the  Secretary's  son,  Mr.  Fred  Seward,  who  said  he 
would  take  charge  of  the  medicine.  The  man  dealt  him  a  heavy 
blow,  and,  rushing  past  him  into  Secretary  Seward's  room,  sprung 
upon  the  Secretary  as  he  lay  in  bed  and  stabbed  him  several 
times  in  the  neck  and  breast.  Major  Seward,  another  of  the 
Secretary's  sons,  rushed  to  his  father's  assistance  and  got  badly 
cut  in  a  tussle  with  the  ruffian,  who  after  a  hard  struggle  man- 
aged to  escape  from  the  house,  and  mounting  his  horse  he  had 
left  at  the  door,  galloped  off,  shouting  out,  "  Sic  semper  tyran- 
ras."  Surgeon-General  Barnes  was  immediately  sent  for,  and 
pronounced  the  Secretary's  and  Major  Seward's  wounds  not 
fatal,  but  the  injuries  which  the  desperado  had  inflicted  on 
Frederick  Seward  and  the  servant  of  the  house  were  considered 
more  serious.  When  it  was  known  that  Secretary  Seward  was 
not  dangerously  wounded  the  general  anxiety  was  centred  on 
President  Lincoln,  and  while  the  scene  in  the  streets  was  one  of 
the  wildest  excitement  and  confusion,  within  the  chamber  where 
President  Lincoln  was  lying  all  was  sadness  and  stillness.  Sev- 
eral members  of  the  Cabinet  had  hastened  to  his  side.  Medical 


PRESIDENT  GAEVIELD.  449 

and  surgical  aid  were  obtained,  and  everything  was  done  to  re- 
lieve the  suffering  President.  It  was  soon  ascertained,  however, 
that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  survive,  the  only  question  being 
how  long  he  would  linger.  All  through  the  weary  hours  of  the 
night  and  early  morning  the  President  lay  unconscious,  as  he 
had  been  ever  since  his  assassination.  He  was  watched  by  sev- 
eral faithful  friends,  in  addition  to  near  relatives.  At  his  bed- 
side were  the  Secretary  of  War,  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Secretary 
of  the  Interior,  Postmaster-General,  and  the  Attorney-General ; 
Senator  Sumner,  General  Farnsworth,  General  Todd,  cousin  to 
Mrs.  Lincoln ;  Major  Hay,  M.  B.  Field,  General  Halleck,  Major 
General  Meigs,  Rev.  Dr.  Gurley,  George  Oglesby,  of  Illinois, 
and  Drs.  E.  N.  Abbott,  E.  K.  Stone,  C.  D.  Hatch,  Neal,  Hall, 
and  Liebennan. 

MRS.  LINCOLN'S  GRIEF. 

In  the  adjoining  room  were  Mrs.  Lincoln,  her  son,  Captain 
Robert  Lincoln,  Miss  Harris,  Rufus  S.  Andrews,  and  two  lady 
friends  of  Mrs.  Lincoln.  Mrs.  Lincoln  was  under  great  excite- 
ment and  agony,  exclaiming  again  and  again,  "  Why  did  he  not 
shoot  me  instead  of  my  husband  ?"  She  was  constantly  going 
back  and  forth  to  the  bedside  of  the  President,  crying  out  in 
greatest  agony,  "  How  can  it  be  so !"  The  scene  was  heart- 
rending in  the  extreme,  and  all  were  greatly  overcome.  Mrs. 
Lincoln  took  her  last  leave  of  her  husband  about  twenty  minutes 
before  his  death.  When  she  was  told  he  had  breathed  his  last 
she  exclaimed,  "Oh!  why  did  you  not  tell  me  he  was  dying?" 
The  surgeons  and  members  of  the  cabinet,  Senator  Sumner, 
Captain  Robert  Lincoln,  General  Todd,  Mr.  Field,  and  Mr. 
Andrews  were  standing  at  his  bedside  when  he  died.  The 
surgeons  were  sitting  on  the  foot  of  the  bed  holding  the  Presi- 
dent's hands  and  with  watches  observing  the  slow  declension  of  the 
pulse,  and  such  was  the  stillness  for  some  few  minutes  that  the 
ticking  of  the  watches  could  be  heard  in  the  room.  At  twenty- 
two  minutes  past  seven  A.M.  on  April  15,  the  looked  for  but 
dreaded  end  came,  and  as  he  drew  his  last  breath  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Gurley  offered  up  a  fervent  prayer  for  the  deceased's  heartbroken 
family  and  his  mourning  country.  The  President  died  without 
a  struggle,  passing  calmly  and  silently  away,  having  been  in  a 
state  of  utter  unconsciousness  from  the  time  he  was  shot  till  his 
death.  All  present  in  the  silent  death  chamber  felt  the  awful 


450  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

solemnity  of  the  occasion,  and  the  scene  was  heartrending  and 
touching.  Mrs.  Lincoln,  shortly  after  her  husband's  death,  was 
driven,  with  her  son  Robert,  to  the  White  House,  where,  hut 
the  evening  before,  she  left  for  the  last  time  with  her  honored 
husband,  who  was  never  again  to  enter  that  home  alive. 

Long  before  the  President  expired  the  authorities  were  per- 
fectly satisfied  as  to  who  committed  the  terrible  deeds,  and  the 
city  and  military  authorities  commenced  investigation,  and  while 
the  Cabinet  and  other  Ministers  were  watching  over  the  Presi- 
dent every  effort  was  made  to  capture  the  murderers.  Couriers 
mounted  on  fleet  horses  rushed  to  and  fro,  and  the  sound  of  the 
hoofs  of  the  horses  was  heard  in  all  directions.  The  city  and 
military  authorities  worked  with  energy  and  vigilance,  and  the 
tidings  at  last  came  that  one  of  the  horses  had  been  captured, 
nearly  exhausted,  at  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  and  that  its  bridle 
was  covered  with  blood.  The  animal  was  identified  as  the  horse 
ridden  by  the  assassin  from  Seward's  residence.  This  gave  a 
good  deal  of  hope  that  the  author  of  the  horrible  crime  might  be 
captured. 

THE  EFFECT  OF  THE  PRESIDENT'S  DEATH. 

The  news  of  the  President's  death  fell  like  a  pall  over  the  city, 
and  before  long  every  house  was  draped  in  mourning.  It  seemed 
that  all  were  engaged  in  the  sad  tribute  to  the  departed.  The 
department  buildings  were  tastefully  draped,  the  War  Depart- 
ment being  literally  covered.  The  pillars  and  the  entire  front 
were  richly  festooned  with  black.  The  hotels,  private  residences, 
and  places  of  business  were  also  appropriately  dressed.  In  short, 
a  mantle  of  gloom  was  thrown  over  the  entire  national  capital. 
Flags  from  the  departments  and  throughout  the  city  floated:  at 
half-mast,  and  nearly  all  private  and  public  business  was  sus- 
pended. The  grief  felt  was  wide-spread  and  the  deepest  gloom 
and  sadness  prevailed  on  all  sides.  The  President's  corpse  was 
removed  to  the  White  House  before  noon,  and  a  dense  crowd 
accompanied  the  remains.  After  an  autopsy  had  been  made  on 
the  corpse  it  was  embalmed  and  placed  in  a  handsome  mahogany 
coffin,  on  which  was  a  silver  plate  bearing  the  inscription : 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN, 

Sixteenth  President  of  the  United  States 

Born  February  12,  1809. 

Died  April  15.  1865 


PRESIDENT  QAtiFIELD.  451 

In  the  evening  city  councils,  clergy,  and  others  held  meetings 
to  officially  express  regret  at  the  President's  death.  Although 
nothing  was  talked  of  during  the  day  but  the  atrocious  assassi- 
nation and  attempted  assassination  made  by  secession  sympathizers 
and  desperadoes,  there  was  no  disturbance  of  any  kind,  and  by 
night  time  the  streets  were  quiet  and  the  excitement  gradually 
subsiding.  In  the  mean  time  every  effort  was  being  made  to 
capture  the  assassins.  Every  road  leading  out  of  Washington 
was  strongly  picketed  and  every  avenue  of  escape  thoroughly 
guarded,  and  steamboats  about  to  start  down  the  Potomac  were 
stopped.  A  rumor  prevailed  that  Wilkes  Booth  had  been  cap- 
tured, and  this  helped  to  keep  the  indignation  of  the  people  as 
fierce  as  ever  and  to  keep  up  the  excitement,  though  the  rumor 
turned  out  to  be  without  foundation. 

THE    NORTH    IN    MOURNING. 

Sunday,  the  16th,  was  a  solemn  and  mournful  day  in  Wash- 
ington, as  also  in  every  city  in  the  States.  The  churches 
were  crowded,  and  not  a  sermon  was  preached  but  the  tragic 
occurrence  was  touchingly  alluded  to.  During  this  day  it  was 
learned  that  all  members  of  the  Seward  family  were  recovering 
from  their  injuries,  and  general  satisfaction  was  expressed  that 
Secretary  Seward  had  not  fallen  a  victim  to  the  assassin's  blow. 
The  interior  of  the  White  House  all  day  presented  a  scene  of 
overwhelming  sadness.  The  body  of  the  Chief  Magistrate  of 
the  nation  was  temporarily  laid  out  in  one  of  the  upper  rooms  of 
the  house.  The  body  was  dressed  in  the  suit  of  plain  black 
worn  by  him  on  the  occasion  of  his  last  inauguration,  while  on 
his  pillow  and  over  the  breast  were  scattered  affectionate  offer- 
ings in  the  shape  of  white  flowers  and  green  leaves.  During  the 
evening  it  was  made  known  that  the  funeral  services  would  take 
place  on  Wednesday,  the  19th,  and  that  the  President's  body 
would  be  interred  at  Springfield,  111.  On  Monday  the  person 
who  assaulted  Secretary  Seward  was  arrested  as  he  was  about  to 
enter  the  house  of  Mrs.  Surrattinthe  little  village  of  Uniontown. 
An  intense  excitement  prevailed  when  it  was  learned  that 
detectives  were  on  Booth's  track.  Several  person  supposed  to 
be  concerned  in  these  murderous  outrages  were  placed  under 
arrest.  On  Monday  the  body  of  the  murdered  President  lay  in 
state  in  the  coffin,  which  was  placed  on  a  grand  catafalque 
erected  in  the  East  Room  of  the  White  House.  The  room  was 


452  THE  ASSASSINATION  OP 

heavily  draped  in  mourning,  and  a  guard  of  honor  surrounded 
the  coffin.  The  populace  by  thousands  gathered  at  the  White 
House  and  there  viewed  the  body.  The  trains  during  the  night 
and  morning  brought  hundreds  of  distinguished  visitors  to  the 
city  from  all  portions  of  the  North.  All  the  streets  leading  to 
the  White  House  were  thronged  with  people  from  early  morn 
till  late  at  night,  wending  their  way  to  the  spot  where  rested  the 
sarcophagus  in  which  was  confined  the  cold  and  motionless  form 
of  him  who  but  a  few  days  since  had  hold  of  the  helm  of  the 
ship  of  State.  The  universality  of  the  mourning  was  remark- 
able. Old  and  young,  rich  and  poor,  all  sexes,  grades,  and 
colors,  united  in  paying  their  homage  to  the  great  and  illustrious 
dead ;  and  one  of  the  most  touching  sights  was  that  of  the 
wounded  soldiers  from  the  hospitals,  who  came  to  have  a  long, 
last  look  at  the  face  of  the  late  President  and  honored  com- 
mander-in-chief. 

THE  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

On  Wednesday  morning  a  funeral  service  was  held  at  the 
White  House,  at  which  were  present  a  large  number  of  clergy- 
men, representing  various  sections  of  the  country.  The  heads 
of  bureaus,  the  sanitary  and  Christian  commissions,  the  Govern- 
ors, assistant  secretaries,  Congressmen,  officers  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  the  diplomatic  corps,  the  judges  of  the  local  courts,  the 
pall  bearers,  ladies  of  the  government  officials,  the  chief  mourn- 
ers, President  Johnson  and  Cabinet,  the  members  of  the  family, 
and  the  ushers.  The  whole  scene  presented  in  the  room  was 
one  of  solemnity,  and  a  single  feeling  appeared  manifest  among 
all,  and  that  was  grief.  The  services  were  conducted  by  Rev. 
Dr.  Hall,  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  in  the  city,  and  the  funeral 
oration  was  delivered  by  Rev.  Dr.  Gurley,  pastor  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  in  the  city  which  Mr.  Lincoln  and  his  family  were 
in  the  habit  of  attending.  At  the  close  of  these  services  the 
funeral  cortege  started  for  the  Capitol.  Every  window,  house- 
top, balcony,  and  every  inch  of  sidewalk  on  either  side  was 
densely  crowded  with  a  living  throng  to  witness  the  procession. 
The  beat  of  the  funeral  drum  sounded  upon  the  street,  and  the 
cortege  marched  with  solemn  tread  and  arms  reversed.  The 
procession  consisted  of  a  large  military  escort,  including  a  body 
of  dismounted  officers  of  the  army  and  navy  and  marine  corps. 
Following  these  came  the  civic  authorities,  and  after  them  the 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  453 

funeral  car,  drawn  by  six  gray  horses.  A  long  line  of  sad  and 
weeping  relatives  of  the  deceased  followed  in  carriages.  Next 
came  President  Johnson,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Preston  King,  of 
New  York,  with  a  strong  cavalry  guard  on  either  side.  The  rest 
of  the  procession  consisted  of  the  Cabinet  and  diplomatic  corps, 
judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  clerks  of  the  departments,  and 
was  closed  by  1,500  well  dressed  negroes  of  various  organizations. 
The  procession  was  one  hour  and  a  half  passing  a  giving  point ;  it 
contained  18,000  persons,  and  was  witnessed  by  at  least  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  people.  After  the  body  had  been  placed 
in  the  Capitol,  Rev.  Dr.  Gurley  read  the  burial  service,  at  the 
close  of  which  the  outside  procession  gradually  dispersed.  The 
body  of  the  late  President  lay  in  state  in  the  Capitol  all  that  day 
and  through  the  night,  attended  by  a  guard  of  honor,  and  viewed 
by  an  immense  number  of  citizens. 

Early  on  Friday  morning,  21st,  the  body  was  carried  to  the 
depot  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railway,  and  the  distinguished 
party  that  was  to  accompany  the  remains  to  Springfield,  111.,  left 
on  their  sad  errand  by  the  half -past  seven  A.M.  train.  The  route 
was  as  follows,  and  the  arrangements  were  all  carried  out  to  per- 
fection, there  being  no  delays  on  the  journey :  From  Washing- 
ton to  Baltimore,  Baltimore  to  Harrisburg,  Harrisburg  to  Phila- 
delphia, Philadelphia  to  New  York,  New  York  to  Albany,  Albany 
to  Buffalo,  Buffalo  to  Cleveland,  Cleveland  to  Columbus,  Col- 
umbus to  Indianapolis,  Indianapolis  to  Chicago,  Chicago  to 
Springfield.  All  the  towns  along  the  route  were  draped  in 
mourning,  and  at  the  cities  above  mentioned,  where  the  funeral 
train  stopped,  the  coffin  was  removed  from  the  funeral  car  and 
borne  in  solemn  and  majestic  procession  through  the  streets  to 
the  principal  public  building  in  each  city,  where  suitable  cere- 
monies were  performed,  and  the  sad  procession  in  each  city 
witnessed  by  thousands  of  citizens  and  visitors  from  neighboring 
towns.  The  funeral  train  reached  Springfield,  111.,  on  the  4th  of 
May,  on  which  day  the  body  of  the  deceased  President  was  in- 
terred in  the  Oak  Ridge  Cemetery  amid  much  funeral  pomp 
and  ceremony. 

THE  ASSASSINS  ARRESTED. 

It  was  some  days  after  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln 
before  the  indignation  of  the  public  was  somewhat  calmed  at 
learning  of  the  arrest  of  those  implicated  in  the  assassination 


454  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

of  the  President  and  in  the  assaults  on  the  Seward  family.  A 
reward  of  $50,000  was  offered  for  the  arrest  of  Booth,  $25,000 
for  the  arrest  of  Atzerot,  and  a  like  sum  for  that  of  D.  C.  Har- 
rold,  the  latter  two  being  known  to  be  specially  implicated  in 
the  assassination  and  the  attempted  assassination.  Lewis  Payne 
was  arrested,  April  1 7th,  at  Washington  at  the  house  of  Mrs. 
Surratt.  On  being  taken  before  the  servant  of  Mr.  Seward's 
house  he  was  immediately  recognized  as  the  person  who 
attempted  to  assassinate  Secretary  Seward.  With  him  were 
arrested  Mrs.  Surratt  and  others  in  the  same  house.  Atzerot 
was  arrested  on  April  20th,  near  Middlebury,  Montgomery  county  r 
Md.  On  April  25th  J.  Wilkes  Booth  was  overtaken  by  a  party 
sent  out  by  Col.  L.  C.  Baker,  special  detective  of  the  war  depart- 
ment. Booth  and  Harrold  had  been  traced  together  across  the 
Rappahanock  river  at  Mathias  Point,  Md.,  and  were  found  on 
Tuesday  evening,  April  25th,  in  a  barn  about  three  miles  from 
Port  Royal.  The  barn  was  surrounded,  and,  although  Han-old 
was  willing  to  give  himself  up,  Booth  refused  to  surrender.  Fi- 
nally the  barn  was  fired.  Harrold  then  gave  himself  up,  but 
Booth  prepared  to  defend  himself.  Lieutenant  Docherty,  com- 
manding the  party,  ordered  Sergeant  Corbett  to  fire,  which  he 
did  through  one  of  the  crevices,  and  shot  Booth  through  the 
head.  Upon  being  shot  Booth  exclaimed,  "  It  is  all  up  now ;  I'm 
gone !"  He  was  found  to  be  wounded  in  his  head,  and  died 
about  two  hours  after  he  was  shot.  The  other  important  arrests 
made  were  Dr.  Mudd,  at  whose  house  Booth  was  known  to  have 
stopped  when  in  Maryland ;  Edward  Spangler,  of  Ford's  Theatre ; 
Michael  O'Laughlin,  and  Samuel  Arnold.  These,  with  Atzerot, 
Harrold,  and  Mrs.  Surratt,  were  arraigned  on  Saturday,  May  1 3th, 
and  after  a  lengthy  trial,  Harrold,  Payne,  Atzerot,  and  Mrs.  Sur- 
ratt were  sentenced  to  be  executed,  and  were  hanged  on  July 
7th  at  Washington. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  455 


SHOOTE5TG  AT  JACKSOK 


THE  shooting  of  President  Garfield  by  Guiteau  on  the  2d 
of  July  brought  to  mind  at  once,  of  course,  the  terrible  details 
accompanying  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln  by  Wilkes 
Booth  in  1865,  and  revived  as  well  recollections  of  the  at- 
tempted assassination  of  President  Jackson  in  the  Capitol  at 
Washington  on  January  30, 1835.  The  extraordinary  similarity 
which  exists  in  the  main  circumstances  attending  the  murderous 
attacks  upon  Presidents  Jackson  and  Garfield  is  remarkable, 
although  the  former  escaped  by  almost  a  miracle  from  the  sad 
fate  which  has  overtaken  the  latter. 

General  Jackson  had  entered  in  1832,  it  will  be  remembered, 
on  his  second  term  as  Chief  Magistrate,  and  although  his  elec- 
tion decisively  showed  the  popularity  among  the  people  of  both 
Jackson  and  the  political  principles  of  his  party,  the  opposition 
was  sufficiently  strong  in  numbers  and  sufficiently  brilliant  in 
the  eloquence  of  its  leaders  to  make  the  President's  life  anything 
but  one  of  peaceful  rest  and  enjoyment.  Jackson's  hot  impetu- 
osity, his  strong  personal  and  political  prejudices,  and  the  al- 
most savage  fury  with  which  he  was  at  all  times  ready  to  attack 
his  enemies  or  defend  his  friends,  served  to  fan  to  white  heat 
any  flame  that  was  started  in  political  matters  of  those  days,  and 
the  Administration  was  almost  continuously  engaged  in  bitter 
political  feuds  with  its  opponents  upon  the  questions  of  the  hour. 
Calhoun,  Webster,  and  Clay  used  their  brilliant  powers  upon 
more  than  one  occasion  with  great  effect  against  Jackson,  and 
the  President's  excitable,  passionate  nature  and  obstinate  deter- 
mination to  carry  his  measures  were  only  intensified  by  the 
withering  attacks  made  upon  him  in  Congress  by  these  states- 
men and  their  supporters.  The  times  were  troublesome  ones 
at  best,  and  party  feeling  was  not  quieted  by  any  attempts  on 
the  part  of  the  Administration  to  make  rough  ways  smooth  or 
by  evincing  a  disposition  to  give  way  in  its  demands.  The 
South  Carolina  nullifiers  were  a  thorn  in  Jackson's  side  in  their 
demands  in  regard  to  the  abolition  of  import  duties ;  the  with- 


456  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF 

drawal  of  deposits  from  the  United  States  Bank  was  another 
prolific  source  of  anxiety;  the  French  imbroglio  added  to  the 
cares  and  political  entanglements  of  the  party,  and  the  threatened 
impeachment  of  the  President  by  the  Senate  served  only  to 
magnify  the  enmity  between  the  administration  and  its  oppo- 
nents. Jackson's  naturally  stormy,  vindictive  disposition  and 
proneness  to  abandon  words  for  blows  had  often  brought 
trouble  upon  him  in  the  past,  and  great  and  well  appreciated 
as  were  his  public,  military,  and  civic  services,  he  had  hosts 
of  enemies,  some  of  whom  threatened  him  with  personal 
violence.  He  was  as  much  admired  in  certain  quarters  as 
he  was  thoroughly  hated  in  others,  and  his  ideas  of  the 
"  code  of  honor"  brought  him  into  numerous  personal  en- 
counters. Two  serious  public  attacks  were  made  upon  him 
during  the  last  four  years  of  his  Presidency — viz.,  those  by 
Lieutenant  Randolph  and  a  man  by  the  name  of  Lawrence. 
And  it  is  this  last  to  which  reference  is  made  as  being  in  a  re- 
markable degree  similar  to  that  made  upon  President  Garfield 
yesterday,  the  similarity  existing,  not  in  the  characters  or  dis- 
position of  the  two  Presidents,  but  in  the  character  of  the 
would-be  assassins  and  their  methods.  The  President  and  his 
Cabinet  were  present  in  the  Capitol  with  official  formality  on 
January  30, 1835,  to  join  both  houses  of  Congress  and  a  numer- 
ous body  of  citizens  in  ceremonies  held  in  honor  of  a  deceased 
member  of  the  House  from  South  Carolina.  The  usual  cere- 
monies had  been  concluded,  and  the  President,  accompanied  by 
Messrs.  Woodbury  and  Dickson,  had  crossed  the  great  rotunda 
and  were  about  to  step  out  on  the  portico  when  a  man  emerged 
from  the  crowd  and  advanced  towards-  the  President.  When 
within  eight  feet  of  him  he  drew  a  pistol,  and,  aiming  it  at  the 
President,  pulled  the  trigger  before  he  was  aware  of  the  man's 
intention.  By  a  miracle,  apparently,  the  cap  missed  fire,  when 
the  man  drew  another  pistol  and  attempted  to  fire  it.  A  second 
time  the  cap  missed  fire,  and  Jackson  rushed  at  his  assailant  and 
disarmed  him.  Unfortunately  for  President  Garfield,  the  pistol 
of  Guiteau  was  sure  and  prompt,  and  did  its  work  more  effect- 
ively than  did  that  of  the  assailant  of  President  Jackson.  The 
man  was  at  once  secured,  and  he  gave  his  name  as  Lawrence. 
He  conducted  himself  with  the  same  cool  indifference  that  has 
marked  Guiteau's  behavior  since  his  arrest,  and  gave  much  the 
same  excuses,  saying  he  was  deprived  of  his  employment,  and 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD.  457 

felt  it  incumbent  on  him  to  put  the  President  out  of  the  way  by 
assassination,  as  he  regarded  the  President  as  the  cause  of  his  own 
troubles  and  the  country's  political  entanglements.  The  man  was 
taken  to  jail,  and  his  history  and  connections  sought  out,  when 
it  was  determined  that  he  was  a  lunatic  on  the  subject  and  fixed 
in  his  determination  to  kill  the  supposed  author  of  the  diffi- 
culties mentioned.  In  his  cell  he  remained  tranquil  and  uncon- 
cerned as  to  the  final  result.  After  due  legal  and  medical  pro- 
ceedings, Lawrence  was  finally  committed  to  an  asylum.  Miss 
Martineau,  who  was  an  eye  witness  of  the  attempted  assassina- 
tion, gives  a  graphic  description  of  the  affair  and  its  public 
effect  in  her  "Retrospect  of  Western  Travel" 


THE  END. 


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c^ 


•Mi 


v.  A'     i-  i-  r  -I 

3  1158  00316  5551 


